Friday, May 14, 2010

34. Get on a Bone Marrow Donor Registry --- DONE!!!!!

05/14/10 --- Did this sometime in the last few months. I am hoping I'm a match for someone!

7. VISIT the IN-LAWS in California

05/14/10 --- RU is on for end of July 2010! Looking forward to it!

02/09/09 --- Looks like another reunion is in the works for summer of 2010! Get the valium stocked up, Frank!

All of 'em: Grandpa Jude, Grandma Mary Jane, Granny Franny, Grandpa John, Uncle Joe, Aunt Kathy, Cousin Josh, Uncle Bryan, Aunt Julie, Cousins Steffi and Danny! Maybe we'll get to see more aunts and uncles out there too!

27. Get at least 5 NEW CLIENTS (3/5)

05/14/10 --- New client Number 3 has been secured! Promise of lots of work to come!
08/25/09
--- ML is a steady client now! I have to get my act together on marketing and searching out new clients. Might have a new web client!
04/10/09 --- Well, I've done my first project for ML, no feedback yet, so I'm hoping their client loves it and they will become a solid client!! (CLIENT #2)
03/05/09 --- The snow storm on Monday canceled the conference call, but I sent in an estimate!
AND, the website is done!! YAY!!! Possible CLIENT #2!
02/26/09 --- Got an email from Allison and Tara at ML! I have a conference call with Tara on Monday and they'll be FedExing me stuff tomorrow to check out. I'll have to give Cliffy his commission!!
02/21/09 --- I have a lead from Cliff! He trains a woman who works for one of the educational/marketing companies that is part of ML. I will be emailing her momentarily!
02/10/09 --- Still working with the Red Cross of New Canaan on their site and logo, brochure. Working on getting my website up, writing the content now. So once that is done, I will start looking for more clients.
01/10/09 --- I did it!! Yesterday. Client number one secured!!
01/07/09 --- Working on #1! Will update tomorrow.

41. Start a Garden at Polly T. McCabe Center HS

05/14/10 --- Still have this on the back burner. I drove past this school the other day and there is a fantastic spot for cutting flowers. Some day.

12/15/09 --- No progress on this one. I emailed the guy in charge, but in looking at the application, it might not be something I can do on my own. Back burner on this one.

08/24/09 --- There is a high school on Wooster Square for pregnant girls from the New Haven school system. It was founded in 1966 and has grades 7-12. The building is a square block of concrete with tall windows covered with slatted blinds. The building wasn't built in 1966, but's got a very 70's feeling to it. There is a passage way betweeen the two sides of the building that is just bare concrete. It seems very cold and clinical.

There are some hedges and trees out front, but no other plantings of any kind. There are also two bare patches out there, one that gets full sun and one that is a really nice shady area under some trees. When I see a blank slate like that, I really want to explore how to make it a beautiful garden. Combined with that, I feel like pregnant women should be around beautiful things. I though the shady area would make a great zen/meditation garden and the grassy/sunny area would make a great place to grow either flowers or some veggies.

This could be combined with some kind of curriculum or something, I'm guessing. I was working in the community garden this summer. A Yale Forestry School student was running the group through Urban Resources Initiative (http://www.yale.edu/uri/). You get someone to steward some public land, like the principal or a teacher at a school or a resident, and they will partner with you. They provide free plants and someone to help plan and implement the garden space. So I just need to talk to the principal at the school and see if she or someone else will invest the time needed to commit to stewarding the project. Would be nice to get some pretty curtains up in those windows too!

38. Learn Dreamweaver --- DONE!!

05/14/10 -- Learned a lot more working on the job. Now about to do another site for a catering company!

Taking some lessons on Lynda.com. My goal is to be able to design and create a website. See number 39!
02/26/09 -- well, I'm still doing the Lynda.com class. I have completed 2 of the 20 sections. I highly recommend this site. The course is 10.5 hours total.
03/05/09 -- learning learning! 3.5 of 20 sections done!!
08/24/09 -- pretty much can do this now. I had to do some stuff on my site, so I learned it through that. Still much to learn though.

36. Become a CASA/CIP Volunteer --- DONE!!

05/14/10 --- I am on case 3 and it's turning out to have a happy ending. Very cool. Happy about that!

12/15/09
--- I'm a GAL/CASA! I am on case #2. Can't say much about it but I'm meeting interesting people and really think it's a useful job.

________

I've been interested in becoming a court-appointed special advocate for a long time, but I was recently inspired by the Victim's Advocate of CT. I just needed the reminder that this is something I wanted to do. I have also always wanted to be a lawyer, one of the good guys, so I'm going to possibly work toward that as well.

Today I downloaded the application from Children in Placement in New Haven. I will be training in Hartford in April for 5 days if I am accepted!

02-09-09 --- Finished the application and I'm diving in! Will send today. Not sure what the process is, but I'm sure there will be an interview or two and then a 5-day training in April. Excited and a little scared!
02-10-09 --- The application is in the mail! Very excited to do this and it has really motivated me to get going on #6 and #2!
02-21-09 --- Got a response postcard from CIP thanking me for my application. They will have to do the background check and process me first before accepting me for an interview, I believe. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm looking forward to getting involved in the court system.
04-10-09 --- Got my waiver for DCS to do a background check on me back because I forgot to fill in a date. The next training that's close to New Haven isn't until June, so should be fine. I'm feeling apprehensive about this, but also excited to help in a big way, or at least the biggest way I am capable of right now...
08-25-09 --- Got the job!! Training is at the end of September. Will update as it is going on!

15. Go to the MOVIES ten times (5/10)

05/14/10 --- Failing miserably at this one. Honestly, I like going to the movies with Jim and we hardly ever get time alone. Sad.

12/15/09
--- Methinks I'll go to the movies this weekend. Gotta find something good!

08/24/09
--- Saw 500 Days of Summer, Harry Potter and A Place in the Sun!!

02/10/09 --- Well, I didn't GO to the movies, but I did get to watch one on TV on the cruise all the way through. Pineapple Express. Very funny. Get high first. I wish I had!

02/28/09 --- Yay! We're going to see Slumdog Millionaire!!! Thanks, Nana! (The movie was awesome!!!!)