Revealed... My '30 by 30' Project

It's a simple concept inspired by awesome friends. What started as a few items on a New Years Resolution list is now this public '30' blog. I'll be 30 in exactly 1 year.  That gives me 365 days to accomplish my '30'. Some are more personal, some are just fun, some are about finally learning to do things I've always wanted to do. Some are things I've done but want to do again. Others are brand new. It's time to stop saying I'm gonna do it and just do it.  Though some of the '30' are more lofty than others, I'm optimistic they're all doable.  Along the way I'll blog, post pictures (y'all know I love to take pictures!), and update the status of each item on the list. You can check out the right column of this page to keep track of my '30' and whether (or not) they've been attained. For each goal not attained by 1/6/2012, I'll donate $30 to one of the Baltimore area animal shelters (BARCS or Defenders of Animal Rights). Below is my 30 with short comments. The "quick" 30 is to the right. Enjoy, comment, laugh, cry, tell me how awesome I am. It's all fair game!

• Attend a Ravens road game - None of the road opponents on next year's schedule look particularly easy so this will take some thinking.
• Attend a Capitals road game - Already have my sweet seats for 3/6, thanks to my father the Panthers season ticket holder!
• Attend a Syracuse hoops game - 2/26 @ Verizon Center is the easy option, we shall see
• Attend a Syracuse football game - Now that we're not the worst team in D1...
• Attend synagogue at least twice - Simple, but something I've been thinking about
• Avoid an anxiety attack - No comments necessary
• Be more patient - Work/Personal
• Better manage money - Hey who knew the mortgage/car/gas/insurance/bills would add up so fast?
• Eat at Dinosaur BBQ - I need to do this at least once in the next year. Either in NYC, or up in Syracuse.  I miss Dino!!!
• Cook a turkey - My mother won't believe this one
• Drive/Photograph Skyline Drive at Shenandoah - Perhaps pair this with the camping?
• Go camping - Speaking of which, my idea of "roughing it" is the Holiday Inn, but I've been told I need to go camping, should be fun...
• Go to Las Vegas - Been a few times, but haven't been since I turned 21. Enough said.
• Hike one of the "difficult" trails at Acadia - Partially an inside joke (Great Head This Way), partially because I wanna do it. Helps that my best friend lives there.
• Jet Ski - Need pure fun!
• Learn to change a flat tire - This would have come in handy a couple weeks ago... Not giving up my AAA membership though.
• Learn to drive stick - Another one that would have come in handy a couple weeks ago. It's time to learn. Sue - If you try and teach me, again, I promise this time I won't stall out your Jeep 10 times at 1am on city streets! Maybe we should try a parking lot this time?
• Lose 50 lbs - Enough said.
• Paint a room in my house - 4 years with all "builder grade white" walls needs to go.
• Read 'Twilight' - I really don't get what the fuss is all about, but never say never.
• Road trip for a weekend with my girls - We haven't done this in a few years. I'd love to get in another one this year.
• Run a 5k - As in RUN, not walk or run/walk. Gotta start somewhere.
• Snowboard - Tried skiing twice. I was awful. This will probably be a disaster, but so what?!
• Spend a day at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum - Went twice around my 13th birthday/Bat Mitzvah. Haven't been since.
• Take piano lessons - Took lessons when I was in elem/middle school but quit after a few years. Haven't touched a piano since my folks moved to Florida and sold our piano. I'd like to take a lesson or two this year.
• Try playing ice hockey - Last time I was on ice I was playing broomball and I got a concussion. I think I'd do better w/ skates on...
• Visit 1 of the 10 states i haven't been to (AK, AR, HI, IA, LA, MI, MS, OK, NE, ND) - Maybe a New Orleans trip?
• Visit the National Zoo - I love pandas!
• Visit the Jewish Museum of Maryland/Lloyd Street Synagogue - I live 3 blocks away. I need to go already.
• Volunteer at a Baltimore area animal shelter - I love dogs, but I don't feel like I have time to care for a dog. Next best thing is to volunteer, right?
• Write at least 1 blog entry every week - This blog or work blog. Don't be a slacker, Manda!