Here's how it began....
I am boring. It's true and I'll be the first to admit it. If I could live in my bed while wearing my pajamas and reading all day, I would. I love to relax and be comfortable in the security of my own home. As I watch life passing by me, I currently feel as though I should be about twelve years old still. Where has the time gone and what have I accomplished? As I try to figure out "adulting" I figured I should have some fun along the way and decided to drag you along (whether you wanted to be dragged or not). As a lover of lists and the need to accomplish what's on them, I made a list of fun summer to dos.
Here are the rules: (In a list of course)
1. 90 fun summer tasks will be listed on my phone at the beginning of the summer
2. I have to accomplish at least one of these activities every day
3. Only one item can be counted for each day (not a race to the finish line)
4. Once the day is done enter the date next to the task completed
5. Dates are locked in and cannot be rearranged once entered
6. The actual tasks are up for interpretation by the creator and occasional cheating is allowed
June 25, 2018- Go to a Party
So... I was like four days late to the party by the time I decided to start this list, but it didn't stop me from going to the wonderful Courtney Jane's graduation party. These lovely ladies must be a pretty big deal for me to drive all the way up to L.A.
June 26, 2018- Eat a Peach
Normally I wouldn't have much to say about eating a peach, but I have to rave about my new favorite company for a while! Have you heard of Imperfect yet?! Every other week I have a ugly fruits and vegetables delivered straight to my door for superrrrr cheap. I pick them out at the beginning of the week and the website tells me exactly what makes them imperfect. (Usually its just surplus though ask to see my ugly orange pic sometime!) All I ever want to do is talk about my produce boxes, so check them out for yourselves! CLICK HERE to check it out and use my code for $10 off your first box!!
June 27, 2018- Binge Big Little Lies
Honestly I can hardly decide whether I liked the book or the show more. Both are FANTASIC! I guess this task encouraged laziness, but I made sure to work on packing for my upcoming trip while watching.
June 28, 2018- Fly Somewhere
As promised, here is "upcoming trip". Every summer I fly to visit my parents and extended family in the cheesiest state, Wisconsin. I've had less delayed flights in my life. While catching my second flight in Chicago, IL the plane door wouldn't close. Believe it or not that is an essential part of the flight, so after an already late boarding we were forced to search for a new plane and began the process all over. Good thing Culver's was open late when I arrived in Appleton, WI. I felt a sassy snap or two was all part of the process. #mood
June 29, 2018- Try a New Store
I really overachieved this day and tried TWO new stores!!!! The first I can't even guess the correct name, but it's known fondly to my father and I as the Hoarder's Liquor Store. This store was (and probably still is) packed from floor to ceiling with random assortments of liquor in no rhyme or reason. It's not a store necessarily that you go to find, but rather to discover. I don't have enough fingers or toes to count the number of health code violations, but the dog eating the potato chips behind the counter was enough to keep me entertained for a while. He was the best of boys. After this adventure we found our way over to Woodman's which is a place to find everything you've ever wanted and more. Truly a superior grocer. I highly recommend both stores.
June 30, 2018- Play Yard Games
With the 4th of July falling on a weekday, we decided to have our family holiday gathering in well...June. Us hungry Hodulik's are infamous for our parties consisting of large quantities of homemade food, obscure drinks concocted by my dad, and Washers. For anyone who hasn't played washers, think of it like corn hole/beanbags except harder and slightly more dangerous. Instead of nice soft beanbags, we are throwing metal washers at each other's ankles. Or at least I am. My aim at the tiny wooden bullseye is awful. I actually think I made a point or two this year. No trolling here. I apologize to my cousin Noah for being picked to be my partner this year. At least he got some super cool slo-mo videos.
July 1, 2018- Summer Storm
Believe it or not, I love the rain! Being from Oregon I am well used to constant downpours, but nothing makes me happier than when it's warm and raining. Wisconsin sometimes even gives me a little more than I bargain for. Every summer there is at least one thunderstorm and sometimes a tornado warning. This was a risky one to put on the list, as believe or not I can't control the weather, but my rain dancing must have worked. Thankfully no tornados this year.
July 2, 2018- Eat Cheese Curds
PSA: If you have never tried fresh squeaky cheese curds, stop what you're doing (but come back later if it's reading my blog) and go find some curds! In this case the squeakier the better. My cousin Elizabeth always brings me my favorite curds from the Mousehouse Cheesehaus in Windsor, WI. It even sounds royal! The rules on shipping cheese curds are highly regulated, but they offer many other varieties which are easier to send. I personally have a sharp sampler pack in my fridge as we speak. But I have gone on a bit of a tangent.... I just really love my cheese.
July 3, 2018- Have a Picnic
Another Wisconsin tradition includes driving to visit my Aunt Anne in Appleton, spending all morning shopping at Kohl's (much better in WI), and having a picnic at the park with Pizza King pizza and subs. This is followed by a game of giant frisbee which seems to get shorter and shorter every year. I guess we are girls of tradition and change is hard.
July 4, 2018- See Fireworks
Technically living a city away from Anaheim, CA I see fireworks, or at least hear them, just about every night. Somehow I still find myself enjoying them greatly. This year was no exception. The downtown Green Bay show was preceded by a massive downpour and followed by a moment of gun violence outside our friends apartment, but overall I'd say we had a good time. I wish over and over that I had used that night for "make a new friend" (my dad's health assistant/my new bff Shelly), but alas rules are rules. We partied the night away celebrating our somewhat functioning country and I found that I had learned something useful at work: Dinglehoppers can be used to fix post rain storm frizz.
July 5, 2018- Try a New La Croix (AKA Recover from 4th of July)
I am a huge La Croix fan. I am beyond devastated that I can't find the variety packs at Costco anymore. I even wrote a comment card in the customer suggestion box begging that they bring them back. I'd be fine if they left out the Key Lime flavor though. That just happens to be the new one that I tried. It was a bit sweet for my taste. Regular lime and tangerine are far superior.
(I'm not sure if I have ever written anything so basic white girl. Embracing my true self.)
July 6, 2018- Catch a Firefly
When I was younger I remember catching fireflies with my cousins, naming them, and then immediately setting them free. I also remember always giving them old man names like Fred, Humphrey, and Bob. Creativity at its finest. I am really not a huge fan of bugs, but somehow these cute beetley things with glowing butts were ok. This was another Wisconsin must do as the west coast doesn't have fireflies. I caught several (sticking with the old man trend of course) but the ability to take a picture of one lighting up in my hand is no longer a skill I possess. How I managed to do it back in the 2000s with a digital camera is beyond me. I apologize to my aunt's neighbors who probably thought I was a crazy running around the back yard taking pictures of my hands. Here he is though. Not so cute without a light.
July 7, 2018- Farmer's Market
If you ever make it to Madison, WI on a Saturday I highly recommend the Farmer's Market on the square around the capitol. If you won't take my word for it you can see this market featured on Rachel Lindsay's season of the Bachelorette. (I met her once and she took a boomerang where I appear to be dabbing. Ask me about it.) Peter (should have won) took Lindsay on a stroll around the square where they ate delicious things and people watched. Yes the Bee Hat man does exist and is a personal favorite of mine. The highlight is of course Stella's Spicy Cheese Bread and Empanadas. 10/10 approval from me.
July 8, 2018- Eat Custard
Here we are back to Wisconsin being the Dairy State. Lucky us June was Dairy month which meant buy one get one free custard pints from Culver's. Of course we stocked up for company. My personal favorites include Caramel Pecan and Mint Oreo. Good thing the closest Culver's to me is just outside of Phoenix, AZ. Otherwise I would be gaining my fame on My 500 Pound Life and lucky if I could even reach the keyboard.
July 9, 2018- Use the AC
All good things must come to an end and that meant going back to California. Much less eventful flying that time and I decided to take an easy day off the list. I personally hate AC. It stirs up dust and makes me sneeze. When the weather decided to be 115 though and you have a small dog the air was called for.
July 10, 2018- Watch Summer League
I love basketball of all sorts which includes NBA Summer League. My teams are Gonzaga for NCAA and Lakers for NBA. I love watching old and new Zags take the court again fighting for their spot on a roster. After this summer the Lakers decided to keep Jonathan Williams! Wishing him the best and hoping he gets to stick around into the season.
July 11, 2018- Finish A Book
I had intended this day to "Get Free Food" for national 7/11 Slurpee day, but I ended up getting a migraine at work and going home to sleep. However this gave me the time to finish one of my many books for the summer. This time it was the classic Pride & Prejudice which I read every summer. If you ever need book recommendations I have quite a few obscure ones!
July 12, 2018- Watch Pride & Prejudice (Keira Knightley version)
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I let myself watch it a few times a year including when I finish reading the book. A lot of Austen fans don't care for this adaption but it is personally my first choice. I love the spectacle of it all and the beautiful scenes, landscapes, styling, and music. I could watch this movie over and over again.
Pause blogging for Sangria break... Just kidding. Sangria has gone bad because my refrigerator is awful and now I'm sad.
July 13, 2018- Watch the Stars
This was not as easy as it sounds. Living so close to LA there are a lot of city lights which makes the sky somewhat unimpressive at night. Good thing my boyfriend Eric's cousins planned a weekend away for us all to a horse ranch in the middle of nowhere, Murrieta. Sorry if I seemed like a weirdo wandering away to look at the sky outside. I'm only a little bit crazy, I promise.
July 14, 2018- Play Cards
As any good Cousin's Weekend goes, many cards games are involved. Those that include drinking and dancing on the table are generally better. *The only table dancers were under the age of one.
July 15, 2018- Face Mask
After any long weekend a bit of pampering is always nice. Face masks are one of my favorite ways to unwind especially after late nights of forgetting my skin care routine. It was all worth it. Thanks for the fun weekend!
July 16, 2018- Eat a Popsicle
Another cheat day but it was on the list. I ate plenty of popsicles that weekend but I suppose never enough during the summer. I personally buy in bulk from Costco.
July 17, 2018- Take a Long Walk
If you didn't already know I have a dog. Her name is Sushi and she is the craziest pug in the world. She has lots of energy and sometimes needs long walks. If it's not too hot I take her on a long walk around my somewhat sketchy neighborhood. I'll use this opportunity to share a picture of her. You can also follow her IG @Sushipuggy.
Blogging break for microwave dumplings....much more successful than Sangria.
July 18, 2018- Cook a New Recipe
When visiting my parents my mom had a delicious recipe for a vegetable filled crustless quiche. I decided to try it with some of my Imperfect veggies. Delicious! Let me know if you want the recipe. :)
July 19, 2018- Try a New Restaurant
I finally made it to Bruxie for a Chicken and Waffle sandwich. It was messy and delicious.
July 20, 2018- Wear Jewelry
I rarely wear jewelry other than the top earring and belly button ring that I literally never take out. I have a good enough collection, but rarely have the occasion I feel justifies the extra effort. I suppose an early birthday dinner for my boyfriend counts as one of these occasions. I threw in two pairs of earrings. That takes a lot of effort. Also taking a lot of effort is trying to remember who gave them to me...They are colored glass from Italy and I have the vivd memory of someone telling me they saw them and thought of me. If you're out there please identify yourself. I rather like them and would like to thank you again.
July 21, 2018- Do a Cartwheel
Everyone needs a few of these simple days. While laying in bed after a long day of work I realized I had done nothing from my list. I ran out to my living room, did a cartwheel, and went back to bed. I wish I would have saved a few of these easy ones for the end of summer.
July 22, 2018- Drink Mimosas
My good friend Amy graced me with her presence after months of absence to grab brunch and bottomless mimosas. (Is there any other way to do brunch?) These are the days that I am glad that Sunday and Monday are my regular days off work.
July 23, 2018- Play Piano
Ok I guess technically keyboard is going to have to count here. My mom is an elementary school music teacher and I borrowed a large keyboard from her to come live in California with me. I plunked my way through a few old books including Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and the Moana soundtrack. You're Welcome.
Blog break to complain to the Amazon Prime customer service lady. They lost my package again. How am I supposed to go to Pilates without my non slip socks?!?!
July 24, 2018- Go Swimming
My apartment has not only one but three swimming pools. Two of these pools usually have a child or two swimming around but the third is almost always a glorious adults only zone. It also has a hot tub which will be featured on my upcoming fall list. Stay tuned.
July 25, 2018- Paint Nails
Or toenails in this case. I hate having my fingernails painted but always have to have polish on my toes. Usually this comes in some shade of pink. Anyone else feel this way?
July 26, 2018- Go to a Fair
In this case the OC Fair!! I love the fair. I love the food and the animals and the overgrown vegetables and the lights and the baked goods and the shows and the hypnotists and literally everything. I went with a random group of friends (again should have used make a new friend) and had a great time. I even told quite a few of them about this list. Well....Here it is!! All finished! But yes, back to the fair. It was a great time and I ate deep fried cheesecake and took so many pictures. Here are a few.
July 27, 2018- Treat a Friend
This wasn't exactly what I had in mind for treating, but on Eric's birthday how could I not treat him to dinner? Someone isn't exactly a huge fan of birthdays so we enjoyed a typical Friday night of Pokinometry. The Poke trend is one I am quite fond of. We tend to eat there more Fridays than not.
July 28, 2018- Stay Out After Midnight
I'm usually pretty much a grandma, but some nights I still like to have fun. This was a continuation of the birthday weekend. When I go out it's very rare that I venture up to LA, but that's exactly what we did. I can add Broken Shaker, Seven Grand, and Sketch Taco Truck on the corner to my list of LA adventures. All worth it.
July 29, 2018- Drink Lemonade
What I feel the need to mention is that it was a $5 lemonade from a cart at the Angel's Baseball game with my family visiting from Japan. That makes it sound a lot more epic.
July 30, 2018- Disney Day
This is something I couldn't have done on my own. For me the magic of Disney is seeing others enjoy themselves and I hope my little cousin did just that. She is the bravest 8 year old I have ever met and she likes all the fast rides and roller coasters. Of course she still loves princesses too, which happens to be my area of expertise.
July 31, 2018- Girls Night
This was another unplanned chill night. My friend Aidee came over for bad Netflix and girl time. I don't even have pictures to prove it other than my dog laying next to her shoes. I will be kind this time and spare you from more Sushi.
August 1, 2018- Eat on the Patio
When looking for an apartment I said it had to have a patio for my big plastic chairs. I don't use it as often as I should, but on these occasions I quite enjoy it. No pugs allowed during eating time.
August 2, 2018- Watch Live Musicians
Boy did I travel a lot this summer! I tend to be overly early for things, so after arriving two hours early to the tiny OC airport I had plenty of time to sit and listen to the girl singing and playing the piano. She wasn't half bad. I'll count it for a travel day.
August 3, 2018- Sprint Somewhere
I expected this activity to be a bit more epic, but it turned into a bit of a throw away, yet one of my most vivid summer memories. My entire day was spent setting up and hosting a baby shower for my friend McKenna, which was lots of fun, but left little time for listing. After kicking everyone else out, much later than expected, I proceeded to sprint around her back yard in my flip flops, trying not to kill myself in the dark. She, in her pregnant state, not only was unable to join me, but seemed to want me to do some extra running around for her as well, yelling at me to do it again and again and again. I'm exhausted just remembering it.
August 4, 2018- Celebrate a National Day
Slowly through this blog all my weird quirks are going to come out. Every morning I have a mental list (yes again) of things to do including check which national days are occurring that very day. Some of them have proven quite exciting. (My personal favorite is National Steal A Zucchini Off Your Neighbor's Porch Day. But anyways...) I saw that August 4th was National White Wine Day and figured that seemed like a fun one to celebrate. I was attending the wedding of my friend Sasha in the evening, so figured my drink of choice for the night would indeed be the white. Delicious.
August 5, 2018- Get Boba
I love sneakily convincing my friends that something fun to do is something from my list. In this case it was a trip to a Boba shop with my friend Allison. I love Boba anyways so it wasn't too far fetched, but travel listing can be hard.
August 6, 2018- Walk to Weiner Schnitzel
Upon moving to California four years ago I was told about Weiner Schnitzel and was also told that it wasn't very good. After moving about a block away from one I figured it was time I tried for myself. I pretty much got what I was expecting....greasy overpriced corndogs. I have no regrets about this adventure, except maybe a little indigestion at the end of the night.
August 7, 2018- Make Tacos
I enjoy tacos. I am really not picky as far as what's in them as long is it's not onions. Making tacos usually takes more effort than eating them is worth in my opinion. I made breakfast tacos for dinner. That's all that I have to report.
August 8, 2018- Root Beer Floats
Despite the fact that National Root Beer Float day was two days prior, I still went out and bought soda and ice cream for a sweet treat that I actually enjoy. This was the gift that kept on giving. I STILL have both ingredients if anyone happens to be craving one.
August 9, 2018- Breakfast for Dinner
Oh no! My first flaw in the system! I have 7/9 listed twice but no 8/9. Good thing for phone pics. Indeed I made myself pumpkin pancakes and scrambled eggs for dinner. Breakfast and dinner easily are interchangeable for me as far as food groups go.
August 10, 2018- Play Ukulele
String instruments have never exactly been my forte, but I very much enjoy my ukulele. I have my repertoire of songs including Over the Rainbow, I'm Yours, Hey Soul Sister, and any other cliche piece you can think of. Eric got a last minute concert and has been very supportive of my list desperations. This section has included a lot of big words though, so I'm going to stop while I'm ahead.
August 11, 2018- Make a Smoothie
Another late night panic. I put some frozen fruit and juice in a blender. Then I blended it. Voila a smoothie.
August 12, 2018- Drink A Beer
Somehow I thought I had already crossed this off my list, but I was saved by it after a long day closing the OC Fair. What was supposed to be a couple hours of fun and wandering around turning into hanging out with my friend Jordyn's parents, a Peter Frampton/Steve Miller Band concert, and yes, many of beers. Cheers!
August 13, 2018- Buy Sushi a Toy
Time for more dog pictures!! She really is a cutie and deserves all the toys in the world. This day we happen to find Fish who is now probably a top five favorite toy.
August 14, 2018- Fancy Grilled Cheese
My love for cheese has struck again. I like to mix and match and create recipes sometimes, so grilled cheese day was a time for experimenting. I decided to try melting goat cheese and peach on toasted sour dough. So "Fancy" for whatever I had in my fridge. Close enough.
August 15, 2018- Food Truck
This was a rough day for many reasons. I got my list task done right away by running out of time for breakfast and going to the Roach Coach...I mean food truck at Disney for a breakfast burrito. #reevals
August 16, 2018- Eat Watermelon
Durian Search Day 1...Failed to locate. Switched tasks. Earlier in the week I had bought a watermelon from Trader Joe's and then remembered I hate cutting watermelon. So two days later, when the melon baller had time to come from Amazon Prime, I revisited this task. In case you were curious, pugs appear to like watermelon.
August 17, 2018- Make Iced Tea
All these drink related tasks seemed to be my late night panics. Herbal peach tea was put on to brew nice and late, then put into the refrigerator and served lukewarm because I was impatient and ran out of ice. Still counts.
Grandma strikes again. It's 10:45 and way past my bed time. Blogging continues tomorrow.
August 18, 2018- Packing House
Here's another where I convinced a friend to accomplish my list with me. My friend Laura and I took a trip to the packing house for her birthday for Frose and Ramen. Winning combination if you ask me. I love the Packing House in Anaheim, CA. If you haven't tried their Citrus Pork Ramen you are missing out. If you've never heard of it, I like to describe it as a "Hipster Food Court".
August 19, 2018- Do Pilates
I am not in very good shape. I know this. Since high school and college I have not kept up dance or cheer or any of the active things I used to do. One thing I really loved to do in college was Pilates. It helped that I had a great teacher but I have fallen out of the habit. This was another late at night throw away list item. I found a youtube to follow along to and laid on my floor after putting Sushi to bed in her kennel. It can be very hard to work out in a small apartment with the worlds most affectionate pug. Since then I have signed up for a free Pilates intro class (starting in about two hours) which should be great fun, minus the special socks that Amazon failed to deliver. I'll keep you updated on whether I return or not.
August 20, 2018- Have Corn on the Cob
My trip to find Durian earlier in the week might have failed, but I couldn't leave the market without buying anything. I bought a few ears of corn and later realized that I don't really like corn. It seemed very summer-ish though.
August 21, 2018- Play Saxophone
Yes I play the saxophone. No I hadn't played it in close to three years. Now my neighbors probably hate me, though I tried to play in the middle of the day when I thought the least people might be around. Who knew what a mouth workout it would be!
August 22, 2018- Finish Holiday Ice Cream
I have a weakness for holiday flavored things: Gingerbread, Peppermint, Eggnog, Pumpkin, etc. Last winter I found ice cream in all of these flavors and proceeded to buy them all. They were all still in my freezer in some form or another by summer. I made it my goal to finish at least one. My friends Jacquelyn and Michael can prove via three way FaceTime that I indeed finished the ENTIRE tub of peppermint. Maybe a bit ambitious for one day.
August 23, 2018- Late Night Mexican Food
I love Mexican food, but have yet to find a restaurant that can top Los Amigos Burritos in my hometown of Florence, OR. I decided to ask a few locals and was stuck between Pepe's or Molca Salsa. Sushi and I ended up taking a late night drive (9:30 pm) up to Molca and got our chili rellenos and crunchy tacos. I think Pepe's might still be my winner, but our goal was still accomplished.
August 24, 2018- Dog Birthday Party
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUSH!!!! Of course we had to celebrate. We took a trip to the dog park, then Petsmart, and finally home for extra carrots and cuddles with Mom and Dad. She even got some birthday shout outs from her friends including a message from Cruella De Vil at Disneyland. Yikes! (Can be found on her Insta) My monster is officially two and still as crazy as ever. Time for her to start adulting too.
August 25, 2018- Watch a Sunset
I will forever and ever curse this day and my dumb decision not to get food at the Ice Cream Truck (explanation later). If you haven't figured out yet, I love food and unique occasions to get it. During certain summer weekends in SoCal we have a fun food gathering called 626 Night Market or the spin off OC Night Market, which is a bit closer down at the OC Fair Grounds. I gathered Jordyn and Madison (starting to know my friends yet?) to go get delicious food with me. I was not disappointed by my ramen grilled cheese or raindrop cake, but I still dream of the delicious looking Oreo cone that Jordyn got. There was a very beautiful sunset which satisfied my list for the evening, but I cry thinking back on my missed opportunity.
Time to go to Pilates....Wish me luck!
Did Pilates. Felt great. Found out studio is $89 a month. Now taking donations. Venmo, PayPal, Cash, or Check.
August 26, 2018- Zumba DVD
Speaking of working out, here is the last time I tried. I actually used to be trained to teach Zumba and I held on to that membership for years and spent all my money I could have been using for Pilates. I never ended up teaching. I got lots of sweet Zumba DVDs though if anyone ever wants to come over and work out in my living room. I successfully overdid it and turned into a tomato for hours. This is why I don't work out.
August 27, 2018- Dog Beach
This was another highlight of the list both for Sush and me. The closest beach was about a 45 min drive, so we got going in the morning so we could spend a few hours. I'd say it went pretty well all things considering. I'm lucky that Sushi likes car rides, seeing as though she can never sit still at home. The sand, the walking, and the other dogs were great fun, but the water was completely terrifying. I made sure she got wet a few times and she hating me every second of it. We made a new pug friend and sat on many benches. A summer highlight for sure.
August 28, 2018- Make Sangria
Ok...so I guess the Sangria was a bit old. It was pretty gross anyways, but I'm still bitter. Waste of perfectly good wine. I don't want to talk about it.
August 29, 2018- Watch Fantasmic
It took a lot to get me to go to Disneyland, but I was finally convinced. My friend Madison asked me to attend a Cast Member exclusive late night farewell to Bugs Land, which I had zero original interest in going to, but I saw this as a trading opportunity. If I was to go to Bugs Land after hours with her, she had to go watch Fantasmic with me first. I had yet to see the show since it had been re-vamped and figured I probably should. I failed to take any pics of the show, but took plenty on the chew-chew train one last time. Of course we rode in the caterpillar butt.
Pause to put Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team on. Quality TV... JK I already watched this week. :'(
August 30, 2018- Watch Pride and Prejudice British Version
I don't think this version is quite as pretty as the other, but it seems to be the best the 90s had to offer. Mrs. Bennet is possibly the most obnoxious I've ever seen her portrayed, but I survived all six episodes.
August 31, 2018- All You Can Eat Sushi (Not to be confused with the dog)
This was both a delicious and ambitious trip to Sushi Pop. AYCE should probably be done with more than two people, but after too many failed attempts to get a group, I bribed Eric to come along. He was a good sport though we have very few food preferences in common. If anyone would like to volunteer themselves towards a group for next time I am taking volunteers.
September 1, 2018- Make a New Friend
Birthday month begins! Technically I always considered other Hannah a work friend, but this was the first time we hung out after work. After a long day we decided to stop by Taco Bell on our way home. I'm not even sure I like TBell (more of a Del Taco fan myself), but a girls outing is always fun and seeing the poor cashier flustered by two "Hannah" orders in a row was well worth it.
September 2, 2018- Take A Drive
After a nice afternoon celebrating Labor Day with Eric's friends, I decided to take the scenic route home. Pretty much I took streets instead of the freeway back home. Totally counts.
September 3, 2018- Do Old Gonzaga Dances
For those who didn't know, I have a Dance Minor from Gonzaga University. Upon graduation I have failed to continue dancing, which often makes me quite sad. I pulled up some old videos and proceeded to dance around my living room greatly alarming the dog in the process. I chose mostly dances from my Jazz class Senior year, which I remembered most of the choreography already. I was exhausted pretty quickly both physically and emotionally, as missing dance usually makes me feel quite sad. If anyone has cheap dance classes or would like to come take Belly Dance classes from me, hit me up! I would love to get back into it again.
September 4, 2018- Make a Blended Drink
Costco makes it so easy to always have a stash of tequila and margarita mix on hand. The problem usually is lack of ice! I managed to find a few trays hidden in the back of the freezer, busted out the Magic Bullet, and blended margs it was!
September 5, 2018- Travel to a New City
I'm pretty sure I had driven through before, but this time I consciously drove to the exotic city of Monterey Park. I ventured up so Eric and I could have dinner before my third and final big trip of the summer. We went to Delicious Food Corner and it was indeed delicious!
September 6, 2018- Write a Letter
I had originally planned on saving this for the finally day, writing a grand letter for all of you to read, but by September I was starting to get desperate for simple tasks. I ended up writing a letter to my dog sitter, including instruction and thanks for watching the monster. So... Dear Marlise, Thanks again! Sincerely, Hannah.
September 7, 2018- Visit an Old Friend
I finally went back to Spokane, WA for the first time since graduating undergrad back in 2014. Quite a lot had changed, mostly for the better! I quick grabbed my rental car, a sporty Kia box, and drove off to campus as I usually would have. Only having one Friday class during my time there, I was shocked to see that students were still learning on a Friday afternoon instead of starting their weekend partying. I used to be a lot more fun. After locating the new Arts & Sciences office I was able to surprise my dear friend Betsy and join her for a drink at the new Bulldog Bar on campus. Where was this when I was a student?!
September 8, 2018- Go to a Park
I really outdid myself this day by not only going to one park, but two! My FitBit was thrilled with my progress as I walked just about all day long. First up was a trip from campus on the Centennial Loop leading through Riverfront Park downtown and then a drive up to Manito Park including succulent, rose, and Japanese gardens. These are a few of my favorite spots in Spokane and I took a great many pictures. Hope you enjoy these few!
September 9, 2018- Go to Brunch
A few more things that I love: Brunch and Weddings. This being said I was pretty much guaranteed to love a brunch wedding. Congratulations Ali and Zac. Your special day was perfect and I'm so glad I got to celebrate with you. Thanks for bringing your dog.
September 10, 2018- Photo Shoot
Ok so here was another day where rules were modified a bit. What I had pictured was going somewhere with friends and dressing up to take cute pictures. What ended up happening was I took a million pictures of my dog inside of our apartment and called it a day. Travel days are hard.
September 11, 2018- Make a Pie
Making a pie seemed like a very American thing to do on this day. Plus it helped me prepare for my upcoming dinner party. I made a key lime pie with regular lime juice because for some reason I can never kind the key variety. It still tasted delicious and hopefully no one could tell the difference.
September 12, 2018- Have a BBQ
This was the very first item I entered on my list and I was very excited to accomplish it. I invited my favorite old neighbors Bill and Nuch over with their pug Chub for dinner. I grilled out turkey burgers and served with mashed potatoes, veggies, and key lime pie. I'd say it was quite successful and the pugs were happy to have date night. They were fed extra kibble.
September 13, 2018- Practice Old Cheer Warmup
For being a twelve minute video, this task took me over two hours to complete. Back in high school, when cheer was life, I recorded myself doing the warm up routine so I could play it back in the future to work out. This was genius of seventeen year old me, but twenty-five year old me seemed to be struggling a bit. For the life of me I couldn't find where I saved it. It didn't help that my laptop is about the same age as the video and is on more of a struggle bus than I am. By the time I finally got it to boot up and clicked out of the first million start ups, I searched all through my finder and none of the video files would open. I tried to open iMovie and somewhere around there I bumped the power cord and with lack of charge the entire thing shut down. Take 2. After repeating these opening steps I figured I would try two options. While waiting for iMovie to load again I slowly opened Safari to email the files to myself on my actual functioning computer. They were too large to send and this idea failed. While iMovie got its act together it decided that it needed to spend 30 minutes loading thumbnail pictures for every single clip in order to play. So this waiting game began. After they all loaded it turned out that the cheer file was invalid and I had probably put it on a flash drive at some point to make room. Laptop was an utter failure and at this point I began searching for the video camera in the back of my closet. Of course after years without use it was dead so it had to sit and charge for awhile and thankfully my hoarder self never deletes anything. On my tiny screen I was able to find the routine and work out alongside in shape me for twelve whole minutes. The entire ordeal was as painful as I'm sure this entire section was to read.
I'm going to bed. This was far too tragic to relive. I'm going to have nightmares.
Was happily dreaming about the British Royal Family (have been watching The Crown) when a knock on the door startled me awake. I quick threw on some pants and ran to get my new iPhone. Off to a good and basic start already.
September 14, 2018- Eat a Durian
Here is the one you've all been waiting for.... DURIAN time!!! If you have never heard of it, that's alright. I was recently introduce to the idea of durian about a year or two ago when Eric told me it was his favorite fruit. Since then I have been seeing random tidbits about them everywhere, including the fact that they aren't allowed in certain areas due to their stinky smell. Somehow I was still intrigued and had been trying to find one all summer. All of the Asian Markets near me appeared to be having a durian shortage (read about that too) and I was starting to get discouraged. Then one Friday night guess who showed up with a durian!!!! <3 Not knowing it was frozen we spent hours trying to figure out why it wasn't cutting, but this low temperature seemed to help keep the smell at bay. That night (and all weekend) we feasted on frozen durian, stinky thawed durian, and blended durian shake. Can I be honorary Asian now?
September 15, 2018- Get Tan Lines
Eh close enough. I was picturing laying out in the sun by my pool all day becoming a bronze goddess with bikini tan lines that no one would ever see. What it turned into was sitting on my balcony in a bandeau and shorts after work and going back inside when the sun had set and I was getting cold.
September 16, 2018- Need Two Showers in One Day
This wasn't really a matter of need for the showers, but more of needing to finish the list. What I had pictured was being outside and being so active on a hot summer day that I needed to cool off and refresh myself. What it turned into was showering and crying to myself after another failed audition in the morning and then awkwardly showering again before bed. Good thing my apartment complex pays for our water bill.
September 17, 2018- Sleep Past Noon-ish
It is impossible for my grandma self to sleep past noon. But I did sleep in until about 8 am which was as long as my body and needy pug would let me. These really got difficult near the end.
September 18, 2018- Ride a Boat
Here's another one that didn't go exactly as imagined, but good thing I'm an excellent improviser. What I pictured was a fun day kayaking around the harbors with friends or a romantic sunset cruise. What it came down to was after a shift seeing which Disneyland boat ride had the shortest wait time. The answer was It's A Small World and off I went. I got an entire row to myself and traveled on the happiest little cruise around the world. Thankfully I didn't get stuck and there weren't any screaming children.
September 19, 2018- Get Froyo
Here was another task I meant to save to celebrate my last day of summer, but I got grumpy and wanted Froyo now. I live very close to a Yogurt Land so I walked myself over and finished my entire $5 bowl while walking back home. Some days you just need to treat yo'self.
September 20, 2018- Take Sushi on a Hike
I was a good dog mom and took the baby on her favorite hike: The Fullerton Loop. I put on my sandals (which she knows mean hike time) and loaded up into the car. During the hike we proceeded to make some new friends. It was more of a one sided friendship on Sushi's end with an old man and his dog. When she picks a favorite she makes it known. We ran to catch up and sniffed the dog every which way while he stood there mildly tolerating her. Then after passing them, about every fifteen seconds we had to turn back around and make sure they were still following us. For being so idiotic sometimes this dog sure has a great memory. The last few times we went hiking (honestly probably like six months ago) it had been quite a bit hotter and there's a bench I would sometimes stop to give her a break. I had no intention of stopping at this bench, but someone and her crazy memory decided that it was tradition and we indeed had to sit for a while. This gave the other dog a few minutes head start on us for the way back, but of course we spent the entire way chasing him down. We finally caught up in the last hundred yards or so. She was rewarded with some nice pets and off we went back home.
September 21, 2018- LAST DAY OF SUMMER: Find an Ice Cream Truck-ish
This day is still a bit upsetting, but as soon as I'm done typing it, I can be done blogging. Do you know how hard it is to find an ice cream truck?!?! I remember my childhood summers in Wisconsin we would always leave a few dollar bills by the door and listen for an ice cream truck to pass by. Without fail, usually on the last few days of my trip, we would hear one coming down the street and we would go running to catch it. My first house in California had an abundance of ice cream trucks, some playing obscure Christmas songs year round. My new neighborhood, only about a mile away, seems to have zero. I swear I heard one from the shower a few weeks ago, but by the time I was out it was no where to be seen. Then one of the girls at work informed me that Downtown Disney currently has a residence of food trucks and an ice cream truck is among them. I did my research and indeed it was told that while the food trucks vary, the ice cream remains consistent. So here I went after work walking all the way to the corners of the property, through crowds and crowds of incoming Halloween party guests to find.... A FREAKIN CREPE TRUCK!!!! Whyyyyyy. Crepes aren't ice cream. I sulked my way back to my car, already running late, and what did I see on my drive back?!? An ice cream truck! Turning onto the freeway and away from me. :'( So many missed opportunities. My one failed mission. I did go back to the Packing House and treat myself to Han's Thai Tea ice cream instead. I will forever be sad about the trucks that got away.
For those of you extroverted introverts like me I highly recommend something like this to keep you accountable and make sure you have some sort of life outside of the comforts of your home. Feel free to copy any of my tasks and let me know how your adventures turn out for you! I will be very concerned if our tasks line up 100% unless I have a hidden twin out there somewhere. Then by all means let's do our Gonzaga dances together, eat cheese curds and durian, and follow it up with a dog birthday party. Until then I'll leave you with a few extras including some adventures I had outside of my list (I know! It's shocking I can have unforced fun!) and a sneak peak of my almost completed Fall list. I need twelve more tasks if anyone has any ideas! You're only a few days behind so let's start some Fall adventures together!
Until then,
~HH
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