Striking Items Off My List...

If you didn't know (which, I would find difficult to believe unless you've never read this blog before), I'm working on a 30 Things to do Before I'm 30 list.

Some of the items will take a lot of time, others will take a lot of practice...

Last Monday, I checked one item off the list: Watch 75 of the AFI Top 100 Movies of All Time. The 75th movie was Gold Rush starring Charlie Chaplin. I chose 75 as my number so I wouldn't have to watch every movie on the list. I'm sure Intolerance (a 3-hour black and white) is classic, but I think I'd rather re-watch a few episodes of Veronica Mars.

So, I've reached the goal, but will still watch many of the other movies on this list. I simply will no longer feel forced to watch those that I wouldn't choose for myself (such as Platoon or The Deer Hunter.)

And then, last night, I hit another goal: Bowl a 120.

I have been practicing...refining my skills and consistency...for about six months. Each Monday night, Luke and Dom bowl a few games at Lake Forest Lanes and then have been gracious enough to let a rookie join. (This sounds over-dramatic, but, honestly, they take this game very seriously...as in "If you bring a friend, then you two will bowl on another lane...4 people makes the game too slow" serious.)

For weeks I had been hovering just under 120. 118, 119...one pin away from my goal.

Last night, I bowled a 124.

Not all that fancy when you see it in-between Luke and Dom's scores, but a big accomplishment for me.

We toasted (with water from Splits Lounge) and Luke made sure to mention that just because I have reached this goal, it does not mean that I should never come back to Monday bowling nights...that this, in fact, "is only the beginning."

We then bowled a third game and I only rolled a 114.

(We chose not focus on that...)

There is such a sense of accomplishment that comes with each item turning from plain text undone to bold and italicized completed.

Hopefully, there are more of these success posts to come.