revising the 101 list...suggestions wanted!

[dirtylibrarian]

Hello friends,

I have been meaning to revise my 101 list...some things on it are just lame (parks and restaurants in the area of my old job) and some are impossible (I'm not allowed to give blood, as I am high-risk for mad cow, who knew?)

Looking at rebellibrarian's flickr today I was inspired to put a trip to Hearst Castle on the list. Ideally I'd like most things to be in the Seattle area, though stuff in Vancouver, Victoria, and Portland would be fun too.  Stuff on the North side of Seattle up through Snohomish and Island Counties is also acceptable, if you have heard of something fun to do there.

Please suggest your favorite touristy and other local activities that I might not have tried yet that you think I should...including stuff you've been wanting to do, and would like me to join you for!

Here are things I am currently working on:

Go camping at Dash Point State Park - 6/7/2008
Go on the Columbia City Garden Walk - 6/14/2008
Go to the Klondike National Historic Park. - Actually did this Saturday!
Get a decent bicycle. - in the works.
Take at least four drum lessons. 1 out of 4 completed. Need to make appointment for more.
Write a poem a day for a month. - began last week.
Cook 12 new recipes within a year. - have done about half. Plan to finish this summer.
Play a gig with my band. - ok, a potluck next week, but good enough!

Here are things I am axing, with why:

Go for a picnic at Bradner Gardens (Not much a destination)
Eat a meal at Seastar (Don't know why it was on the list in the first place).
Picnic at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens. (Near old job, not terribly exciting).
Go on a lazy tropical vacation. (This was a cheat...I put it on right before Belize).
Picnic at the park at Bothell Landing. (Again, nearish to old job, and kinda boring sounding).
Eat at the Roanoke Inn on Mercer Island.
Get some pizza at Roberto's on Mercer Island. (Again, old location).
Do the Tillicum Village tourist thing. - Cheesy and no one is interested in going with me.
Eat at Bai-Tong Thai restaurant in SeaTac. - No idea why on list.
Return to the Maryhill Museum of Art and nearby faux Stonehenge. - Museum closed for remodeling.
Beat a video game. - You know, I just don't care enough.
Go to Las Vegas for a weekend (never been as an adult). - Not actually excited about this.
Give blood. (Mad Cow threat!)
Watch the movies I haven't seen from the book Never Coming to a Theater Near You (0/78) - too many movies to watch already! Not lacking for ideas.

So...I need 13 new things. Be creative people!

Here are the things I am changing, and how:

Take a fly fishing class through Patrick's Fly Shop. - A friend is going to teach me this summer.
Sell dirtylibrarian.com and apply money to student loans. - Need to make a plan to actually do something with this if I'm not going to sell it. Ideas?
Fill all the picture frames I own and hang them. - Fill or get rid of by end of summer.
Improve basement: a) remove wood from dirt, adding new reinforcements to dirt retainers; b) add vents; c) insulate heat ducts; d) plug holes for rodents.(1/4) - I'm not sure how to plug the holes, but I am thinking about paying to have a restraining wall installed. Too much hard labor to do it myself?

Here is what I am currently planning on keeping that seem doable. Let me know if you want to schedule a play-date for one:

Evening out:

Go to a Farestart Thursday night dinner.
Eat a meal at Rovers
Go see a performance at Lottie’s in Columbia City
Go to a poetry event at Open Books in Wallingford.
Hang out with the butterflies at the Pacific Science Center.
Go see a professional hockey game.

Day activity in town:

Take the U-District audio walking tour (from the U District library)
Take an audio tour of the Suzzallo Library (and find the sylvan theater and the medicinal herb gardens).
Fly a kite at Gas Works Park.
Go to the Seattle Chinese Garden.
Eat a sandwich at Armandino's Salumi (open Tue-Fri 11-4)

Day trip out of Seattle:

Hike Cougar Mountain.
Take the Argosy Cruise of Lake Washington from Kirkland.
Go to a demolition derby.
Make a day trip to the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island.
Attend the King County Fair.
Go to a rodeo.
Take a tour of the giant Boeing plant.
Find Jimi Hendrix's grave in Renton.
Go to the Strawberry Festival on Vashon Island (July 12-14, 2008).
Go watch a race at the Marymoor Velodrome.
Go on a free boat ride at The Center for Wooden Boats.
Go on a whale watching tour.
Spend a day at Point Defiance Park.
Ride in a hot air balloon.

Vacation of some sort:

Go camping at Mt. St. Helens.
Go camping on the coast and visit the World Kite Museum.
Ride a mule down the Grand Canyon.
See the Northern Lights and some glaciers in Alaska.
Go to Montreal and eat poutine.
Visit Graceland.
Backpack the Wonderland Trail (93 miles!)
Visit the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo. (Too expensive?  Should I drop?)
Hike and camp the Shi Shi Trail.

Projects:

Post a photo a day for a month.
Take a photography class.
Take a cooking class at Cooks World
Take a scuba diving class so I can see Octopus in person.
Get lifeguard certification.
Learn how to polka, and go to a polka show.
Sell excess books/cds/etc and apply money towards student loans.
Take a dance class.
Get paid for writing an article (by myself).
Make marble magnets.
Complete an emergency preparedness plan.

Random:

Drive a hoovercraft. (Is this really a possibility?)

Comments

[contrary-wise.livejournal.com]

I love your 100 things list. I first saw it on your lj and have been coming up with my own. I've been looking at the lists posted on the main 100 things website, but yours is by far the most appealing. I like your emphasis on doing fun stuff.

I would gladly help you eat poutine in Montreal when you make it up to my lovely city. And if it's hockey season, you should go to a Canadiens game here too.

[dirtylibrarian.livejournal.com]

Sweet! One reason that trip has never happened is that I don't know anyone there...though I do have friends in Vermont who seem at least semi-willing to consider it.

I don't know when I can do it (I was thinking I'd squeeze it onto the end of a conference at some point), but I still hope to make it happen.

What is your favorite time of year there?

[contrary-wise.livejournal.com]

Montreal is fabulous about six months of the year. From May to October, it's lively and lovely. I love almost everything about spring, summer and fall. Sadly, those three seasons are condensed into those six months.

The other six are winter. The winter is much less pretty and can be ridiculously cold if you're not used to being where it stays below freezing for three month stretches. Plus the locals get very surly. Still, there are fun things to do all the time here.

And the poutine is good year round!

[bookchick.livejournal.com]

I have been wanting to make marble magnets for awhile, and I bet our family would do the strawberry festival with you.

As for polka - you are speaking my culture, girlfriend! I can't make promises, but could probably go with when you find a show (haven't polka-ed for awhile, but I learned as a child).

[dirtylibrarian.livejournal.com]

I haven't found the right materials for the marble magnets yet...I had some stuff from Michael's but returned it as it just wasn't right. Will let you know once I figure that out.

As far as the Strawberry Festival goes...I can't go on Saturday when the parade is, alas, as I have to work that day...but if you guys would like to join me for going over Sunday the 13th, that would be awesome!

Will let you know when I figure out the polka thing.

[marssaxman.livejournal.com]

Adam and I have been talking about building a hovercraft for ages. If we ever get it off the ground you are welcome to drive it.

Here are the ones I'd be interested in:

[gryph.livejournal.com]

Go to a Farestart Thursday night dinner.
Go to the Seattle Chinese Garden.
Hike Cougar Mountain. [I would like to take Mephisto]
Go to a demolition derby. [I've always wanted to do this!!]
Take a tour of the giant Boeing plant.
Find Jimi Hendrix's grave in Renton. [I can show you where it is, I've been a couple times]
Go on a free boat ride at The Center for Wooden Boats.
Ride in a hot air balloon.
See the Northern Lights and some glaciers in Alaska. [I want to see the Northern Lights so bad!]
Go to Montreal and eat poutine. [Montreal was a consideration when I decided not to go to BM this year.]
Visit the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo. [I want to go to Japan!]
Take a cooking class at Cooks World
Learn how to polka, and go to a polka show. [What is polka-ing?? I love the music, but didn't realize there was something to do during it. Is it like Scottish dancing?]
Complete an emergency preparedness plan. [This has been on my to-do-list for yeeeaaarrrssss.]

Re: Here are the ones I'd be interested in:

[dirtylibrarian.livejournal.com]

We still need to do some of these! What is your Sunday looking like?

Day trip and other suggestions

[mt-mutiny.livejournal.com]

Thanks to my own recent excursion to the Cascades, how about...

-Visit Roslyn and see how it matches your memories of Northern Exposure? Though if you're not a fan, this probably wouldn't do it for you.
-Check out the surprisingly big and weird town of Leavenworth. It's in the middle of nowhere, yet was teeming with tourists and has a Swiss Alps theme for the entire town. Very interesting.
-If you're brave and have a good car, drive on route 2 from the suburbs to Leavenworth. I chickened out after 20 miles.

If you're going to be in the neigborhood of Humboldt County sometime, give me enough notice and I'll help you find the world's tallest tree.

In Seattle, check out the soon-to-be-reopened Wing Luke Asian History Museum or ride on a ferry. I probably won't be able to go on the ferry, but I'm going to check out the Museum this weekend.

Re: Day trip and other suggestions

[dirtylibrarian.livejournal.com]

Alas...I have done all of these already! Well, I went to the old WLAHM, not the new one. But good suggestions, none the less.

Would you be interested in housesitting for me from June 25-July 6? I can't offer any compensation, but it is a lovely house and a nice cat to hang out with, lots of DVDs to watch and a yard to enjoy.

Re: Day trip and other suggestions

[mt-mutiny.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the offer, but I'm leaving Washington for California today. Sheesh, I'm sure to regret saying no, as my life is so up in the air that I'm not sure what will be happening with me around that time. The tentative plan is to have a job offer and be apartment hunting by then.

Ironically, if your housesitting offer were for the third week of June I could do it. My temporary digs will be off limits then, and it will be too soon to apartment hunt, probably.

Uh, if you haven't found anyone to housesit in a couple weeks, ask me again. You never know.

[dana-drum.livejournal.com]

Last time I went by the Chinese Garden there was still basically nothing there. You might want to look for a 14th.

Have you done Butchart Gardens outside of Victoria?
Ditto Leavenworth.
Lime Kiln Park on San Juan Island to watch the whales from the cliffs. They had just gone out to sea when we went this weekend, so we missed them. Definitely worth the trip, though, for the natural beauty. You could do the whale watching tour from there.
I'd keep the Ghibli. It's realistic even if a bit expensive.

We used to do FareStart fairly often. We'd do that with you. Also the Rover's for lunch on a friday - depending on child friendly, I can drop Rose off at daycare. And I'm still up for the Bloedel Reserve.

Oh - NW Garden Show. Or the International Rose show in Vancouver next June.

Must attend to little girl. I'm sure I have other suggestions.

[dirtylibrarian.livejournal.com]

Butchart Gardens is a good one!

Done Leavenworth.
Planning a trip to San Juan Island with my mom this summer for whale watching...will put that on the agenda!

Are you free this Friday for lunch at Rover's?

Will have to figure out a good time for the Bloedel Reserve :)