Tofu…a previously rubbery, flavorless object of detest.  I had vegetarian Indian for lunch yesterday because it was the special and I figured, “What the heck!”  I will admit.  I liked the flavor and even the texture and texture is the thing that gets me every time.  I’m ready to move deeper into the vegetarian world.  Nice!

Progress:

#30 Make 5 homemade gifts and give them (3 down)

#34 Create 10 items from Grandma’s beads (4 down)

#34 Create 10 items from Grandma’s beads

Tonight I made a present for a coworker who is constantly losing her reading glasses.  I have no idea if she will like it or use it but I thought she should have it.

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Something old, something new

Something borrowed, something blue

And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

All of these items that we traditionally try to include in our wedding attire have a symbolic meaning of which I will not bore you.  If you want to know what they’re all about, click here.

Anyway, so my fiance gave me an amazing sixpence dated 1900 for my shoe but unfortunately I’m wearing strappy sandals that consist of 3 very thin straps holding them onto my feet.  I had no idea how I was going to get the sixpence in my shoe.  I thought I would tape it in but three thoughts came to mind in opposition…1. It would look awful in pictures, 2. It would be uncomfortable to tread on, and 3. I would lose an antique coin that has sentimental value when the tape peeled off as I walked.  So I got creative.  I have convinced myself that near my shoe (on an anklet) is close enough for me and bought a pendant bezel for the coin and pulled out my grandmother’s beads.  Here is the final product and I couldn’t be happier with it…

19. Go boating ….COMPLETE

They also had a tiny section set up for Segway rides (really really tiny).  This is something I have always wanted to try and I don’t know if it’s just that this machine was mad old, or if I need to work on my balance and need more practice driving it but it was a little scary at 3 miles per hour (or whatever speed it went..haha).  I felt like I was nearly going to fall off at times but it was fun so…

5. Ride a Segway…COMPLETE

#7  Find a new job… Completed 4.4.11! WOOHOO!

So happy and ready to start!  I completed 3 others as well…

#26 Participate in 5 ΑΦΩ alumni service projects AIDS WALK NYC 2011

Although the actual walk is not until May 15th, the actual purpose of the event is to raise money and while I continue to do so, I feel as if I can call it complete.  So far, I have raised $100.  I wish it was more but hey, every dollar counts.  To date, the walk has raised over $1.5 million dollars.  HOORAY!  Our team alone has contributed $636.00.  Dear reader, if you wish to contribute to our team total by donating on my personal page, click HERE.

#49 Delete all duplicate songs on my Zen

What is a Zen?  It’s the more affordable version of an iPod and way smaller, lighter, and cooler in my opinion…but that’s just probably because it was all I could afford at the time I bought it. Ha ha!  In any case, it seems I had duplicates all over it because I would have the original albums on there as well as mix CDs of favorite songs that would then duplicate…or have soundtracks to movies that had the songs on them also.  Whatever, I finished it…not all my goals are exciting people!

#95 Say “I love you” to at least one person every day

I’m calling this one complete because it’s a forever thing with no real end date.  I must say “I love you” to my fiancé every day, a million times.  My parents, my best girl, and other amazing friends also get “I love you’s” regularly.  So, I’m covered and will be forever.  It’s a shame that people fear the words when they are only a means of letting someone know that they are important to you.  Besides, it feels good to say and to hear.  It might be cliché but life IS short people, don’t let people assume you love them, TELL THEM!

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If anyone wishes to donate, click this link… http://aidswalknewyork2011.kintera.org/alisonmalik

#20 See a comedy show

On January 3, we visited the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City for 2 nights.  Hooray for comps!  On the second night, I received comp tickets for their nightly comedy show (again…yay!).  There was a magician who was very french and kinda funny, a Korean woman who based most of her act on being Korean…again kinda funny, and of all people Kevin Meaney was the headliner.  I remember seeing this guy on TV in the 80′s.  I thought he was funny back then.  Maybe I was more easily amused as a child, but this guy really wasn’t all that funny.  He had his moments but in general, like the rest of the show, only kinda funny.  You get what you pay for and it’s a good thing I didn’t pay.

#98 Eat/See a Movie at the Dine-In Movie Theater (replacement goal) and #51 Buy Wedding Rings (replacement goal)

January 9th was a very good day.  The kind of day where everything goes your way and even if doesn’t, it’s still a very good day!  We started out our day by meeting up with my parents for brunch at Bensi.  It was good.  We all had some complimentary mimosas, some laughs, and stuffed ourselves silly with a variety of yumminess.  It had your typical breakfast buffet stuff with the addition of a custom pancake station.  The lunch foods were your typical Italian affair kind of stuff, Chicken Marsala and such.  It was a small variety but satisfying.  After brunch, we went to seek out a replacement to my fiancé’s wedding ring.  Long story short, we had purchased rings for the both of us.  We realized his wasn’t what we wanted when we got home from our first excursion and decided to return his.  We decided to try the Woodbridge Jewelry Exchange where they have about a billion vendors.  And the first vendor we came across (after checking out nearly the entire place) ended up being the one.  I believe I got a good deal and my fiancé is so happy with his ring that he turned into Gollum and kept repeating “My Precious” nearly the entire ride home.   Afterwards, we headed to the AMC Dine-In Theater in Menlo Park to go see Little Fockers .  While the concept of waiters/waitresses serving me full meals and alcohol while sitting in leather seats and watching a movie intrigued me, I did have my reservations.  It seems people in the theater forget they are not in a restaurant or on their couch at home and talk, loudly to each other, out loud to no one, and even the wait staff refuses to whisper.  It was distracting and kind of annoying.  Not to say that I really needed to concentrate on the highly predictable and unoriginal comedy that is Little Fockers.  Good thing we didn’t decide to see Black Swan!  Regardless, I had a great day…the kind where nothing can dampen the good feeling.

#22 Go to Sony Wonder Technology Lab and #96 Play “Heart and Soul” on the Big Piano (replacement goal)

We went to the city on January 11th to do two things, go to the FREE Sony Wonder Technology Lab and check out FAO Schwarz which was only blocks away.  Do you remember when Robert Loggia and Tom Hanks played “Heart and Soul” and “Chopsticks” on the giant floor piano in the movie “Big”?  I had to try my best to play it.  I took piano lessons for approximately 3 months and quit because they wouldn’t let me learn real songs.  So, I would figure out songs on my little Casio keyboard and it’s all down to “Big” that I figured out how to play “Heart and Soul”.  I can’t say I played it well.  They must’ve practiced that scene for hours before doing it.  It’s hard to keep your balance and not step on more than one key.  We then headed over to SWTL at the time slotted for us on our reservation.  It was really pretty cool!  You log-in with your name and photo digitally and use your passcard to log-in at stations all around the museum.  Some of the more memorable exhibits were nano perspective, programming robots, performing heart surgery (badly), creating animations, motion sensor animated dance creator (you dance, the animated character moves), movie editing, and the digital sand wall (your shadow changes how the sand falls or collects). Oh and while it doesn’t fulfill a goal, it’s still a pretty cool thing…we went to have a beer in Trump Tower afterwards.   Here are a few pics…