#3 Learn to Salsa dance… DONE!
Please pardon my absence! I went out of town for over a week and had very limited Web access, so blogging was more or less out of the question. I’m back and ready to wrap up the last few stories on 25 Steps.
As I hinted at in a recent post, Aaron and I have recently been learning to Salsa dance. We’ve done so with the help of Salsa instructor Ken Baldwin who, after coaching such stars as Renee Zellweger and Morgan Freeman, has been visiting out living room regularly to teach us the steps. I wish I could say it’s been in person, but…
I initially found the Hot Salsa Lessons DVD series because of its high rating on Amazon and was then pleased to learn it was offered as a free rental at our county library. We’ve been taking a couple of nights each week to practice and learn a new step/pattern, and while I don’t figure we’ll be hitting the dance floor at a club anytime soon, I’m very pleased with our progress.
The DVD instruction is very easy to follow, so I recommend it to anyone who’s interested in learning the basics of Salsa. See if your library has it, add it to your Netflix queue, or head over to Amazon and pick it up.
#3, #17 – Don’t judge me!
Today I visited the library to pick up a book and a DVD that I’d reserved to help me with goals on my list. Apparently when you pick up DVDs, they’re behind the counter rather than on the reserve shelf.
The girl at the counter brought up my Hot Salsa Lessons DVD and gave me a look. Not the most bookish thing one could check out at the library, I suppose. I felt totally un-intellectual as she scanned that, followed by World History For Dummies. I wanted to be like, “I’m working on a list! I have a deadline!!”
Whatever, library clerk… Don’t judge me.
Progress Report: December 20, 2009
So, my 25th birthday is just under five months away, and I’ve still got a way to go on this list. So, here is a FULL progress report, because I need some accountability if I’m going to get ‘er done. Lol!
Days left to complete list: 144
#2 Study Latin – I read quite a bit in a book I had checked out in my June 27 update, but I needed to take a break. (That and my book was due back to the library… ha ha!)
#3 Learn to Salsa dance – I decided that paying for salsa lessons was going to be too expensive, so I have a couple of learn-to-salsa DVDs on my list at the library for when I get back from my mission trip.
#4 Travel to Europe – Unfortunately, it looks like this goal will not be fulfilled in the next few months, but I plan on coming up with a substitute experience. Stay tuned!
#10 Learn to make sushi – I have all the tools to make this, as well as a couple recipes I’m interested in. I just need to pick a day and do it.
#12 Be consistently on time – I actually haven’t put in too much effort in this area, but I’m finding myself late less often anyway. It’s a good feeling, not always being late to everything, and that in itself is motivating me to keep doing it.
#13 Begin a documentary – I’m actually in the pre-production stage of two separate mini-documentaries, one on the mission trip I took in 2006 and the other on the trip I’m taking to Belize next month. Though these aren’t the idea I had in mind when I made the 25 Steps list, I think they’ll be more beneficial in the short term. I guess you could say that goal #13 is complete, but there’s more I want to do in the next few months to really do it justice.
#14 Make up a recipe – No progress, but I’m not worried.
#15 Weigh what’s on my driver’s license – No progress. I blame Christmas… and Thanksgiving… and Fourth of July… No, in reality I only blame myself. Bad Lauryn.
#16 Get totally caught up on my scrapbooks – This is one area where I’ve made tons and tons of progress. Getting totally caught up is a huge feat, but I can see the finish line already. (Follow my progress using the #16 tag.)
#17 Read a book about the major world wars - I actually decided to expand this goal a bit and am currently reading a book about the whole of American history from colonization to modern day. I also have a world history book in my book bag that I’ll read when I finish this one.
#18 Dye my hair – Dye’s on the counter, ready to be used.
#19 Randomly try an unfamiliar restaurant - Looking forward to knocking this one out sometime in the next few months. So is my husband. 
#21 Write an article and have it published - No progress [EDIT: Not true! See post]
#23 See the top 10 movies on the AFI list – There are only three movies left on the list that I haven’t seen yet: The Godfather, Lawrence of Arabia, and On the Waterfront.
#24 Own a little black dress – I’ve been putting this one off until goal #15 is accomplished. Hmm… maybe I should get to work on that.
So there it is, the whole pile of unfinished projects. Let’s just say it will be a very productive few months.
