2. Fix the electrical problems in my house. 8.16.05
I had to make sure the electrical system was on point before I brought my baby girl home. Andre is the bestest (and reasonably affordable) electrician. Evar.

28. Take more pics of the kids. 9.16.05 I started taking more pics of the kids after no. 3 was born.

29. Start a photo gallery 9.25.06 After my third child was born, I decided to make sure I documented every step of her life. I opened a snap fish account where I've (almost) organized pics of her and the kids.

48. Go 24 hours without using the computer. 11.15.05
Believe you me, this was an involuntary action at the time as a result of allowing BD3 to make "upgrades" to my computer. Consequently, my beloved Randy, a Dell Dimensions 8200 died shortly there after.

49. Get a new cell phone. 8.29.05; 1.6.06
Since the conception of this list, I've purched two cell phones. Again, another involuntary action. The first phone I purchased, an LG 1300 was absolutely horrible. I had to exchcage it twice for some weird malfunctions. Then I lost the lil POS during xmas. A Nokia 3120 followed that raggedy LG.

100. Return phone calls of people I don't like to talk to. Recurring
I used to put off returning calls of people I don't feel like dealing with. I find it best to just call em and get it out the way. Hopefully, they won't call back!

4. Fix the plumbing problems in my house.
I've already begun making arrangements with the Fix It Guy to have work done on this house. For him it's a goldmine since there's so much work needed. Plumbing is first on the list. Water is a house's enemy.

5. Set up separate bedrooms for the kids.
When I first moved here, my kids were 7 & 4 and scared of the dark. Now they're 9 & 6 and can't stand each other. It's good for them to have their own space now.

6. Set up a network in my house.
Before the previous goal can occur, I gotta get my network right. I gotta move everything around, starting with the computers and TVs.

13. Finish my undergrad degree.
I'm taking classes again and I'm feeling the pressure to pass. I haven't been doing that well in school for about the past year and on the verge of being kicked out for my (lack of) academic progress. My mom was suprised to find out I hate school. Classroom learning doesn't interest me at all. She's like about 15 years late as hell. Like anything else, this is a project that's been in the que for way too long. I just want it to be over and done with.

14.Get a better job. 2.17.05
I thought this was finished but it really wasn't, being that I was fired after my 90 days (6.7.05) was up. I really wasn't too upset about that; I knew it was coming. I really didn't like The Firm very much. Working with black women has definitely left a bitter taste in my mouth. For a while my self confidence had been affected as a result of this situation. I'm still searching for my utopia.

15. Maintain a workout regimen.
Since I'm not going back to Elmo anymore, I've been doing this on my own, without much success. My motivation wanes at times. This tiny lil mini skirt I saw on the Alloy website has resparked my interest. LOL. Shallow, yes. Not only do I want to look beautiful, but I want to feel that way from the inside out. Working out did this for me.

16. Lose 100 pounds.
Used in conjunction with the previous goal. LOL. So I'm too lazy to type everything out. I think that's a reasonable goal for my size. While it won't put me at the ideal weight for my height, it would still be a major accomplishment.

19. Date a black man.
Not long after the baby was born, I started seeing someone new. This dude has been persistant since I'd met him two years ago. I finally submitted about two weeks after she was born. I'm not 100% sure I've made the best decision, and there may very well be someone out there that's better suited for me, but I'm willing to see how this plays out. WIthin this situation, I don't have what I need. An idle mind is the Devil's playground, you know. We're still in the early casual stage so it's cool.

24. Take care of all necessary dental work.
Soon to be crossed off the list. I got a tooth that's giving me a fit. I looked in my Provider Handbook to find a dentist...and they only got one damn dentist in their network. What happened to options??? It's like they're saying, "Go to this nigga or chill with tooth decay."

34. Be more assertive.
This is how I feel: Fuck it. The only one who is going to protect me and look out for my best interests is...me. If I wanna know, Imma ask. If you wanna know, ask me, but at your own risk. You will get the truth. The truth isn't always nice. You've been forewarned. I have needs that need to be met.

40. Subscribe to a fitness magazine.
In support of my fitness goals, I gotta suscribe to a mag. Frankly, I find the men's mags to be more interesting. I do have one I want to suscribe to...I have no idea what I'm waiting on since I buy the new issue from the newsstands.

65. Have bi-monthly outings with the kids.
This really should read as "bi-weekly" instead of "bi-monthly". I do intend to let them out the house more than every two months. LOL. Hopefully I'll have a car soon so I won't have to depend on other people, which will allow for more options to open up for us.

83. Wear a push up bra.
I've been scouting for bras lately. I've identified one that might do what I want and fit comfortably too. We shall see, we shall see. However, the last thing I need is for the girls to be sittin up under my chin. I guess that's better than them resting atop my belly.

95. Be on time for work.
I'm getting good at this.

My full 101 in 1001 list can be seen HERE.

I had the plumber come out to the house on Monday to fix the kitchen sink. It's been broken for a while; I just never had the money to get it taken care of. The mildewy water pushed me to have it done earlier this week. That was an awful smell. It cost a mortgage payment to have it fixed but I feel a lot better now. I'm glad I'll be able to use my dishwasher again, after some serious disinfecting.

I asked the plumber various questions about other plumbing issues in the house and he gave me his number so I could call him to fix them, presumably at a discounted rate. Situations like this bother me; it's usually more than the household plumbing these guys wanna fix. I'll see about it though but I'm not exactly looking forward to it.

I'm well on my way to having good credit again. Here we are approaching the 4th month of the year and all of the bills have been paid on or ahead of time. I'm also doing well sticking to the budget I've created but this is the first month I've used it. Credit history is so important. You can't get anything without at least having a score of 650 backing you and even then, lenders still look at you sideways. Especially if you're black like me.

With all the trouble I had last year, it's gonna take me atleast two years before I can even think of refinancing or buying more property. That disappoints me but I did it to myself. I'm still excited about the idea though. I haven't lived here long but I'm interested in moving already. Time for a change of scenery and to begin the next phase in life.

As posted on the main site, I was able to score a good job with a top law firm here in DC. That's no easy feat I tell you. I haven't job hunted in about 4 years so I was pretty shocked when I got into the pit of my search and realized how extensive this process is. I've been tested numerous times on grammar, spelling, punctuation, typing, word usage, editing and proofreading, I feel like I could teach an english glass. Then the interview. Round 1 with HR. Round 2 with the Director(s). Group interview. Mutiple in succession. This has been brutal. I don't feel as anxious any more since I have been made an offer, but I'll rest a lot easier once an offer letter is in hand.

Interviewing is a serious skill. I had some coaching and caught on quickly so I was able to get really comfortable with it. I tell you one thing, I don't want to go through this process again any time soon. Yesterday, I interviewed with four people and was held captive for 3 entire hours. Exhausting it was. I have no idea how well I did on the tests; all I know is that I passed. I am curious about my scores though. I'm begining to think that I'm the only person who's been able to pass the tests being that the position had been posted for a while before I applied. Also, one of the managers I'll be supporting said I'm the first person she's interviewed for the positon. I was in shock. If you don't pass the tests, you don't get an interview. I was sure more people would have passed. Taking timed tests are scarry though, specially when said tested are timed to like five minutes each.

I started school two weeks ago and I'm sad to say I'm not doing well. I'm not confident enough to keep going. Between working both jobs, taking care of the kids and keeping up with my workouts, I can't keep up with the reading I'm supposed to do. And it's heavy reading.

This quarter I'm taking Logic, which frankly, sucks. It makes absolutely no sense, as ironic as that is. It's not logical for my mind and I can't relate. I'm trying in vain to ahead in this class and haven't submitting an assignment yet. *sigh* I'm trynna maintain but it's hard.

Right after Crimmuh, for the new year, I opened an account with a sizable deposit. At least it was sizable for my pocket. I felt good about myself and excited that I'm taking steps to achieve financial security. I made out a budget as to how much I would save from my main paycheck and arranged to have my candle store check directly deposited into that account to make sure I wouldn't spend it on the main bills.

There's always something.

Later in the week I cook up a pot of chili. After I'm done, I go to turn the stove off. Damn if it won't go off all the way. I blow the burner out hoping that would help. Not happening. Gas was still escaping. I could smell it. Not sure what to do that late at night, I go to bed. When I wake up the next morning I still don't know what to do. I'm praying the house don't blow up while I'm at work. I come home from work and could barely breathe. The entire house was filled with gas. I open some windows and call the gas company. Ole boy come in (he was fine too. goot lawd!) and do some diagnostic type stuff, which included lighting a match and putting it against my burner. I back up away from the stove cause I know goodness well he bout to blow us to smitherines. To make a long story short, I need a new stove.

Glad my W2's came.

Yesterday the gas company came to my house and checked up on my appliances and stuff. After a bit of tinkering, my house was warm once again. I've never been so grateful to have functioning heat. It really doesn't take much to make me happy. Now only if the hot water stayed hot....

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).

Completion Date: October 10, 2007