Thursday Thirteen

The 13 things I want to do before I am 50:

1. Hike to McAfee's Knob. This isn't as easy as it sounds; I am out of shape in spite of my hour-long exercise in the morning. Plus I have a problem with my balance and can get motion sickness when I am in high places, like atop mountains. And mountains make my ears hurt. Another problem is I don't have anyone to walk with me and I will not go alone.

2. Take a two or three week vacation and drive to California and back. I did this with my parents when I was 12. My husband has never seen the Grand Canyon and I would like for us to make this trip one day.

3. Visit Canada. Just because I've never been. That requires a passport now, doesn't it?

4. Write (and hopefully publish) a novel. This means applying bottom to seat and getting to work.

5. Write (and hopefully publish) a nonfiction book. See #4.

6. Self-publish a book of poetry. I have poems and could probably do this now, except I am afraid to.

7. Create a photo book about my county.

8. Learn how to eat properly.

9. Lose weight and be the healthiest I've ever been. I'd like to do that *this* year.

10. Build an addition on to the house. We could use just one more room. Maybe a nice sun room where I could put the treadmill and the exercise bike and get them out of the living room.

11. Buy a hybrid car. This one may have to wait longer but I think it will depend on what happens with the gas prices and if the government ever smartens up and offers financial incentives for people to really "go green." Right now I can't afford a new car. I suppose if I write and sell those books...

12. Move my office from home to ... someplace else. Working from home is not a bad thing, and I don't want to work for someone else, but I think an office away from home has the potential to make me more productive in some ways. Plus I wouldn't have a refrigerator there. Or washing machines. Or any of the other million things that can distract me while I work from home. Of course, I have to be making enough money to warrant paying rent someplace.

13. Write my 2,000th blog entry. Which may or may not be a Thursday Thirteen.