Day 584 progress

It's been nearly a month since my last post, but I have made some progress on a few large items during that time.

25. Listen to every one of my tracks on iTunes: So far I have listened to 7345 of 7593 total tracks.  I am 96.73% of the way through my collection.

It's very likely that I will listen to my entire current collection before the end of the year.  If that is the case, it would not cause this item to be truly complete, as I might acquire more music for my collection between then and the end date of the entire project.

So, even though I may listen to my current collection, my official complete date will be closer to November 24th, 2009, the end of this 101 project.

 

41. Refrain from ingesting caffeine for 90 days: I've reached day 52 of 90.  There have been more than a few times that I could have enjoyed a cup of coffee, and a few mornings where I nearly broke down to have one, but I've stuck to my goal of finishing off this item and I've made it this far.  There's no sense in having to stat over now.

 

42. Read 50 books that I have not read before: At the suggestion of a co-worker, I started reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy on September 30, 2008.

 

46. Read the Koran: I finished book one of The Koran Interpreted on September 28th, 2008.  It's slow reading, and I am taking a small break while I read other material.

 

50. Pay off credit cards: I'm happy to report that I have completely paid off my Visa card, and I only have a little bit left on my Discover card.  I do have a balance on my Musician's Friend card, but I have a plan in place, and intend on paying it off sooner than later.

 

54. Build a deck or patio on the back of the house: I have a design planned.  I had hoped to have it in place by early November, but it looks like January or February are more likely.

I will need to talk to the city permit office to clear my design and get approval for the construction.

 

63. Complete 2 college courses: I've been involved in the application process for my chosen graduate program at UNT.  In the past month, I have created an organizational plan for the application process, found that I need to retake the GRE since my previous scores expired, studied for said GRE, began the application process, acquired transcripts, and worked on my financial aid package.

I still need to take the GRE, distribute my letter of recommendation packets to my letter writers, complete my application pending receipt of one more transcript, write a few essays, write my cover letter, and finish my FASFA application.

 

100. Smoke 5 high end cigars: On September 17th, I took the time (around 90 minutes) to enjoy an Arturo Fuente Double Chateau Natural in the back yard while listening to my favorite AM radio show.  Of the cigars that I have tried over the years, this one was mild, with very little aftertaste.  Nice coffee flavors, without being too spicy.  It burned evenly, and produced a nice volume of smoke on the draw with the ash holding up well throughout the smoke.

This is my first of five cigars.