Week 15: Snowbird plan

Where's the perfect snowbird spot? I've been pondering that question for years, waiting for retirement when I could escape the Colorado cold in the winter and spend my days basking in the sun, preferably close to beautiful beaches, hiking spots, and a welcoming culture.

Even though I'm not sure if I want to retire fully quite yet, I've been getting more serious about researching and exploring snowbird locations..  goal 30 on my 60 until 60 list.

I wrote about 'Dating' San Antonio as a potential snowbird spot last Fall and since then have spent time in a lot of warm-weather states, searching for that perfect spot.

I came to the conclusion that, just like dating, maybe it would be better to get to know a place before 'committing.'  Yes, whether it comes to jobs, dating, or picking a snowbird spot, I'm finding I may be a bit commitment-phobic at this stage of life. There's so much to try, to do, to explore, to see...

Having freedom from any commitments is amazing! On the other hand, it can also feel a little lonely. When it comes to my snowbird spot, I would like to find a place that I will eventually go back to every winter. In keeping with the whole dating analogy, I might not want to be "married" to a spot, but I at least would like to be in a "serious relationship."

I loved visiting my sister in Southern California and narrowed down that I wanted to be in a location near the beach but it had to be affordable.  Unfortunately, that probably knocks California off of my list. Still, since I'm from California and have a lot of family and friends there, I plan to have the occasional "fling." (So glad that places have no baggage or hangups about commitment!)

When I went to Florida at the end of February, I "fell in love." I'm back in Orlando this week and took advantage of another day at Epcot to see their annual garden show and thought, once again: Yes! I could 'marry' this place! Flowers everywhere and beaches both to the east and the west! Florida is on my short list. I'm headed to Sarasota as I'm writing this to check out one of the most popular retirement destinations.

However, there are a lot of International choices that I'm also considering. This weekend I was able to learn a lot more about the different options at the International Living Retirement Overseas Bootcamp.

The conference was lots of fun! Very informative and exciting since there are so many options for people like me who want to escape the cold! (Ironically, I was freezing from the air conditioning in the windowless conference rooms all weekend..  Mental Note #1: Even in the warmest of spots, it's good to have a sweater at all times!  Mental Note #2: I never want to go back to working all day in windowless, air-conditioned offices.)

But other than the 'cold air', the conference was very exciting! It was almost like getting onto an online dating site and finding out there are all kinds of attractive people (places!) out there with plenty to offer! Who wants to commit when there are so many other options?  And here I was just ready to marry Florida!  (Actually, when we were going through the different country presentations, they even referred to it as 'speed dating'!)

Of course, one of the best parts of the conference was meeting other like-minded people. Here's a picture of me with the two people I got to know most, Rick and Mike. The first night of the conference was a session just for singles, which was awesome. It made me wish there were some sort of network just for 'single snowbirds' where we could meet up at some of these beautiful spots. I know the expat communities are known for their friendliness, but I've been thinking a lot about some of the considerations of being a single snowbird.  I may even write another book or start another blog, vlog or podcast: Single Snowbird! Another fun thing to think about!

After learning about all the pros and cons of several different countries, Costa Rica and Mexico top my list as affordable warm weather countries. There are very large expat communities in both, lots of direct flights from the US, and I've always wanted to become fluent in Spanish (and French and Italian... but Spanish first.)

So Florida, Costa Rica, and Mexico have all made it on my short list.  Next winter I'm looking forward to 'dating' each of these places and getting to know some of their cities more intimately!

What worked well

* Loved exploring California, Las Vegas, and Florida this winter.
* International Living Conference was very informative about International options
* Excited that there are so many affordable warm-weather beach locations
* Good to come to the conclusion that I don't need to pick one snowbird spot
* Excited to think about exploring Florida, Costa Rica and Mexico
* Fun that there are so many active expat communities and the ability to learn from them with social media
* Nice that I got to know some new friends from the conference

What could be better

* I'm still undecided about work which will make a big difference in what I'm able to do next winter. It's hard to have a very definitive 'snowbird plan' when I'm not sure what I'll be able to afford or whether or not I'll be working.
* Even though the conference had one session for singles and one for snowbirds, it was mostly relevant for those who were seriously considering relocating permanently.  It would be nice if there was a distribution list, forum, or facebook page specifically for 'single snowbirds.'  Maybe I'll create one!

10 Brilliant Things about "Every Brilliant Thing"

"#761 Deciding you're not too old to climb trees"
That was my line in "Every Brilliant Thing" last Saturday night at the Vintage Theater.

Though I'm tempted to make that count as "having a part in a play".. number 23 on my own 60 until 60 list, that will be a last resort measure.

The play was described this way in the Goldstar ad I got in my email box:

"1. Ice cream. 2. Kung fu movies. 3. Burning things. 4. Laughing so hard you shoot milk out of your nose. 5. Construction cranes. In Duncan MacMillan’s Every Brilliant Thing, a young boy attempts to ease his mother’s depression by creating a list of all the best things in the world. As the list grows with him into adulthood, he learns the deep significance tracking things worth living for has had on his own life. This heartwarming play made waves on HBO in 2017. Now, it makes its regional premiere at Aurora’s Vintage Theatre. See this heartwarming exploration of depression and the lengths we’ll go to for those we love."

Well, making lists is right up my alley! I've been inspired by 1000 Awesome Things and make lists every week in my journal of the good and the not-so-good. The good list is always much longer than the not-so-good. It's become second nature to notice all those quotidian moments (Note: The word, 'quotidian' is on my 'things that make me happy list'!)

Even though I'm tempted to share a long, long list of quotidian moments that have made me happy just this week, I'll try to stay on topic here, and give you a list of 10 brilliant things, just about the play!

1. Going to the play alone, so I could fart in the car. (It turned out, I was really gassy that night!)
2. Even though the play was listed as 'sold out' on Goldstar, when I called the theater, they said it wasn't really sold out... just the Goldstar discount tickets were sold out.
3. The ticket agent offering to give me the ticket at half-price ($16 instead of $32!)
4. That the Vintage Theater was this cute, small, theater so really easy to see and hear everything!
5. Having a part! "761. Deciding you're not too old to climb trees!" (I had GREAT delivery! What an actress!)
6. The awesome acting by John Ashton
7. Audience participation - the vet, the father, the school counselor, and the love interest - pulled in to adlib with no rehearsals.. and the endearing results from the shy, the bold, and the talented
8. The feeling you get from a drama that makes you both laugh and cry.
9. A play that deals with the difficult and tragic topic of suicide and mental illness, reminding us of our own vulnerabilities, while at the same time, reminding us of the simple joys of every day life.
10. The invitation to add our own brilliant thing to this board:

Yes, I really loved the play. It wasn't a "Happily Ever After" fairy tale (I love those, too), but one that dealt with the very deep topics of death, depression, love, and life.  I almost didn't go to this play because, despite my attempts to find someone to go with me, no one was available. It was in Aurora (quite a distance) and I don't like driving at night.

I could have gotten all mopey...  poor, poor me... no one to go with...  (I have had that little pity party before) but I'm happy to report, going alone didn't phase me a bit! In fact, it was first on my list of brilliant things..  'cause, ya know, sometimes it's just better to be alone!

Week 14: Organize Books

This week the goal from my 60 until 60 list that I accomplished was:

#46. Sell, give-away, throwaway and organize what’s left of my books

Inspired by the Marie Kondo craze, I've been in quite the "declutter" mode lately.  My natural personality leans more towards "hoarder" so decluttering is not easy for me, especially when it comes to books! I love books! I was the nerdy kid who went to the library at recess! I could SO relate to Belle's excitement when the Beast presented her with access to that gigantic book-filled library. 

I, of course, also love bookstores and when I visited the Last Bookstore in LA with my sister in January, I realized that maybe it would be OK to keep most of my old books, as long as they 'brought me joy' (as Marie Kondo recommends.)  Yes, I know I can get them digitally, and many of the non-fiction are out-of-date, but since I'm not down-sizing, and, in fact, would like to make part of my basement space into a library, I decided it would be OK for now to keep most of my books.

Satisfied with this decision, I thought it would be an easy task to simply organize them! Wrong! I have bookshelves in almost every room and two big bookshelves in my basement.  This adds up to hundreds of books on 3 different floors of my house.

I will spare you the blow-by-blow account of my many trips up and down stairs lugging books throughout my house to get them all in their 'correct' spots, but let me tell you, it's been quite the workout!  I originally put ALL kids books on the shelves of the room where my grandchildren sleep when they visit.   Then realizing, that was too many books to fit on the shelves in that room, I moved all the non-fiction kids books (including many books about magic, mazes, math, puzzles, pranks, optical illusions, origami, crafts, art, and probably every kids' 'Klutz' book there is) back to the basement.

I also separated out my adult fiction and non-fiction books, putting together the books of similar categories (travel, languages, relationships, self-help, work-related, writing,  humor, holidays etc. etc.) I have a shelf full of my son's (very heavy) textbooks from medical school (those will get sold eventually, either by him or by me.)

Finally, I have a shelf for the "special" books..  the ones that were created by my kids or are heirlooms, handed down, photo-books, and, of course, my original "Laptop Dancer Diaries" from my book release party complete with autographs and well-wishes from friends.

What worked well:

* I was reminded of a lot of books that I want to re-read or browse through again! 

* I made sure all my 'heirloom books' were in the same area so they won't get lost or accidentally given away.

* I was able to pass a small stack of books to my daughter's family, including a C++ book that she specifically asked for! (It had been in my 'donate' stack, so I felt lucky that I still had it!)

* I came up with a small stack of books that I was OK parting with (including Bill Cosby's, "Parenthood!")

* I found a book from my childhood I remembered with fondness: 365 Bedtime Stories

* I still haven't lost my enjoyment of books that give you 365 of something..  

* I felt good about being able to share my favorite travel books and classics in the room I'm now renting out as an AirBnB room

What could have been better

* It would have been better if I'd sold any text books.

* There are too many old books that aren't really bringing me 'joy' that I'll probably never pick up and are just taking up space.  But, at least I 'staged' them in the basement, so I'll easily be able to donate or give those away when the time is right.

 

Week 13: Article Published and Quarterly Reflections

It's the last day of March and that means we're 3 months into my 60 until 60 project!  This week, my latest article for TechBeacon about Self-Organizing Teams was published, so I'm marking that goal  complete!

Since the "work" part of that goal (actually writing and submitting the article) was done earlier in the month, this was a good week for me to spend on reflections of my project as a whole or in Agile speak do my "quarterly retrospective" and planning for the next quarter.

Summary:

* I'm right on track with completing and blogging about one goal every week! (Marked green below)
* I've started or have a plan for goals that I'll plan to complete next quarter. (Marked yellow below)
* My on-going "individual celebrations" (Marked blue below) have been fun and I've made a Slideshow and Playlist with the first 13 celebrations:

* There's only one goal that I don't think I'll be able to complete (Marked red below) because Matt and Stella won't be able to attend the Albuquerque Balloon Festival after all. I'm going to change that to the most challenging goal I've been working on: Walk 2019 miles in 2019!
* Some items are ongoing or more about mindset (Marked purple below). These will be hard to ever fully "complete" so instead, I may just blog about a particular example and then mark them as done on my list.

What's working well:

* The list of goals and project gives me purpose. Without it, it's easy to say, 'some day I'll do...' but let other things get in the way.  This is helping me make sure I accomplish at least one thing on this list each week.
* Because I'm not working much, I have time to do a lot of other things beyond this list! As long as I get at least one thing from the list done a week, I can explore other things I want to do without feeling like I'm losing focus.
* Overall, I'm changing my mindset in the way I live my life, which is my overarching goal.  I'm constantly working on improving and doing things that are important to me.
* My weekly blog post helps me keep myself accountable.
* I really appreciate my sister, Michele, especially, for all the support she's given me with this project (including housing me for much of the winter!)  I also appreciate anyone who's helping me accomplish any of the goals or joining me in my celebrations! And thanks to MB for the comments on almost every post! (TY, TYVM).

What could be better:

* Some things on my list are very big and others are easy and small. Technically, the big items (features) should be broken down into small things (stories) that can be done in a week.  But I like keeping with my original list of 60 things (to keep to my 60 theme!)
* I know my blog posts are not very entertaining. If you've made it this far in this blog post, give yourself a big 'Yay' from me!
* It would be better if I were doing this project with someone else so we were holding each other accountable.  However, some of the goals, I'm doing with other people, and those are the most fun for me.

1. Keep doing strength building exercises do at least one unassisted pull-up. Accomplished Week 2: 1/11/19. 
2. Hike in beautiful spots Including Crested Butte during wildflower season) Record with Map My Hike App.
3. Participate and dress up in at least one fun race like the Bolder Boulder
4. Research bone-healthy recipes and make dinner to share with other friends who are working on their bone strength Accomplished Week 6: 2/7/19
5. Learn a choreographed dance
6. Try PickleBall
7. Call 10 friends and relatives who I haven’t seen in a long time to invite them to my 60-week virtual BD party and get a song for my playlist. - Accomplished Week 1: 1/7/19
8. Take a work mentor to dinner.
9. Every week share a “Cool Thing of the Week” via social media and encourage others to do the same. Accomplished Week 12: 3/24/19
10. Foster strong and deep communication with everyone I meet. Aim to have at least one positive social connection every day and at least one event every week. 
11. Write a gratitude letter to the police who helped me during a family emergency
12. Visit my Mom & brother in Sacramento as well as others in Northern CA who are available (My former in-laws, high school, and college friends.)
13. Visit my sister in Southern CA and go to this super-cool bookstore (among other things). Accomplished Week 3: 1/18/19
14. Practice a mindset of kindness and gratitude and journal weekly about reflections
15. Contribute to any cause that a friend asks me to support
16. Participate in efforts to help those with ALS and their caregivers
17. Learn digital photography better with the help of a professional photographer (my sister, Michele) Accomplished Week 4: 1/28/19
18. Learn how to Meditate
19. Learn more about poetry and write a poem
20. Practice the piano and be able to play some of the pieces I used to play well along with some new pieces.
21. Experiment learning a new instrument - maybe the ukulele
22. Sing with a group
23. Explore an acting class or group and try to get a part in a play
24. Get better at a foreign language (Spanish, French, and/or Italian) and practice with a friend
25. Put together a playlist of at least 60 songs by gathering songs from friends
26. Plan and host my 60th virtual/real birthday party
27. Create slideshows of the celebrations I have throughout my 60-week ‘party’
28. Host a theme party (Flamingo, Carpe Diem, Wine-Tasting, Murder Mystery, Games, Purple,etc.)
29. Go to a foreign country and practice speaking the native language
30. Research and explore snowbird locations
31. Go to Disneyworld with the Tidds Accomplished Week 9: 2/28-3/1
32. Go to the Albuquerque Balloon Festival with Stella and Matt
33. Go to the Meowolf exhibit in Santa Fe with Stella and Matt
34. Visit New England in the Fall with Rebecca R.
35. Do some TBD adventure with Scotty Accomplished Week 5: 1/30/19-2/1/19 Road Trip to CA
36. Visit Minnesota friends in August
37. Do a roadside altar road trip with Rebecca M.
38. See all the movies that are up for Best Picture Accomplished Week 8
39. Dress up and go to a musical at the theater
40. Read a book that’s on the best seller list
41. Binge watch a Netflix series with someone
42. Clean my basement window-wells
43. Try marble contact paper on an old table
44. Clean and organize the ‘craft area’ of my basement
45. Sell, give-away, throwaway and organize what’s left of my games, puzzles, and toys
46. Sell, give-away, throwaway and organize what’s left of my books
47. Clean out my wardrobe and get rid of old clothes that I never wear Accomplished Week 10
48. Put DIY flooring or carpets in basement
49. Put DIY walls in basement that will allow me to hang pictures, etc.
50. Refurbish window sills and baseboards that are old and chipped
51. Label and repair my breaker box
52. Get rid of or repair floor lamps
53. Hang pretty lights in basement and bedroom
54. Fix up den as a potential airBnB room for rent Accomplished Week 11
55. Buy something at a Thrift store and fix it up
56. Create a course about using Agile in everyday life
57. Sign up on sites to get freelance Agile coaching / training gigs: Accomplished Week 2: 1/13/19
58. Update Website with my coaching / training / writing accomplishments
59. Create outline for book about Agile in everyday life
60. Continue to write freelance articles Accomplished Week 13

Week 12: Share a Cool Thing of the Week

We are nearing the end of Week 12 of my 60-week project and I've made so much progress on so many of my goals! However, a few are these kind of poorly-defined, do-every-week-kind of goals.  For example, Goal #9 on my 60 until 60 list is:

Every week share a “Cool Thing of the Week” via social media and encourage others to do the same

The main reason I wanted to do this was that I love the unusual and interesting things I read about on social media and I naturally want to share stuff that I find 'cool'!  In the same way that having a gratitude journal reminds me to be on the lookout for things I'm grateful for, this goal reminds me to look for fun things to share.  And, of course, I love when my friends share things with me that they think I'd like.  My sister has been sharing these gorgeous purple-flowered photos with me, almost daily, and it always makes me happy!

This is not much of a stretch goal because I subscribe to plenty of newsletters full of things that I think are cool. Typically, I don't like how mainstream news seems to be so full of negative stories. But guess what? Just last week, I signed up for this CNN newsletter called The Good Stuff which has a weekly dose of cool stuff in the news! Yay!

Since I started this goal, I regularly share on Facebook at least one thing a week ranging from sharing pictures from my week, to this easy way to support ALS research,  to the latest crazy National Holiday, to an event I think would be fun, to something fun I found on YouTube or Pinterest.

What worked well about this goal:

* By sharing things that I like, people get to know me and my tastes and then share back things that they think I'll like, which always makes me happy.

* It's always amazing to me what fun, amazing, incredible, cool things that are out in the world and that we can so easily share with one another.  I've always loved social media!

* In general, this goal has helped me continue a habit of finding awesome and beautiful things in the world.

* Even though I know it's not as good as bonding face-to-face,  this helps me feel closer to friends on social media, who I normally don't get to see.

What could have been better about this goal:

* This goal is easy for me, so hardly qualifies as a 'goal.' If anything, I have to be careful not to spend too much time on social media.

* I decided I don't really need to "encourage others to do the same." That seems a little pushy and annoying..  Consider this blog post my "encouragement."

* Rather than having a goal to do this 'every week,' I'm just going to remain mindful of looking for and sharing 'cool' things on Social Media. 

So with this blog post, I'm considering this goal complete! I will continue to share things I find cool and look forward to reading about all the cool things everyone else is sharing!

Week 11: Become an AirBnB Host

Top o' the evenin' to ya, lads and lassies. 'Tis St. Patrick's Day, so please read this post with a pleasant Irish brogue, why don't ya?

This week's goal (#54 on my list) was to become an AirBnB Host and that I did. I tidied up my beautiful green master bedroom and bathroom 'til it was sparklin' more than any pot o' gold. My first booking was to a handsome young lad named Alex. Alex was full of fun and blarney and humored me with a silly selfie to commemorate my accomplished goal.

After the successful experiment with my master bedroom, I decided I wanted to keep my beautiful sanctuary all to myself. Instead of the master bedroom, I repurposed my first-floor office to be the room that I'd rent, so I went on another de-cluttering frenzy and listed that room tonight. 

Love to relax at the end of the day in my tub!

Beautiful shades of purple and green in my room!

My office transformed into AirBnB room for rent

What worked well

• Creating a listing on AirBnB motivated me to declutter and clean up!
• Alex was so friendly and personable. He's originally from Honduras and he helped me with my Spanish study!
• I enjoy being able to share my home with others and having a full house.
• I was able to learn how the AirBnB software worked.

What could be better

• I already have two awesome tenants so having more might get crowded and cause some contention, especially in the kitchen.
• The AirBnB software was a little cumbersome.
• This isn't really much of a money-maker and may not be worth the efforts. It would be convenient for the times I travel, but then I'd have to pay someone to do the property management and might inconvenience my house-mates.

I don't think I'll host AirBnB that often, but now I hope more out-of-town friends come to visit!

Week 10: Wardrobe Cleanup

We're in Week 10 of my 60 until 60 count-down and the goal I accomplished (#47 on my list) was not very fun:

Clean out my wardrobe and get rid of old clothes that I never wear

You have to realize, this goal is following DisneyWorld, so.. obviously, not all goals are created equal. This was much more of a chore than a 'bucket list' kind of activity, but it has been something I've needed to do for a long time. 

I accomplished "Part 1" of this goal a couple of weeks ago when I cleaned out the spare closet in my bedroom. "Part 2" was cleaning out my main closet, my dresser, my shoes, and my downstairs coat closet! 

I didn't take a "before" picture, but, trust me, this is much more organized!

Second large load of clothes and shoes to donate

What worked well:

• This wardrobe cleanup was way overdue. Many of my clothes were over 20 years old! I even found the very first suit I wore on my first day of work at IBM in 1982! 
• It's hard to believe how even after clearing out so many clothes, my closet is still full! I obviously had way more than I needed.
• I found a beautiful coat that I'd completely forgotten about!
• I'm able to donate a lot of clothes that will hopefully find their way to someone who needs them.
• This was the same week that Gretchen Rubin's new book about decluttering came out: Outer Order, Inner Calm.  And cleaner closets do create more inner calm!
• I watched some Marie Condo videos that also helped 'prep' me for parting with my old clothes.

What could have been better:

• I still kept a lot of clothes that I don't love or that look old because I need stuff to wear.
• I still kept that business suit from 1982 for sentimental reasons. Also kept the dress I wore to my daughter's wedding and other fancy clothes that I'll probably never wear again, but I'm not ready to part with yet.
• It kind of made me sad that I have a lot of nice work clothes that I may not get a chance to wear any more (which made me kind of bummed that that contract fell through.)
• I need to buy myself some new clothes! 

Week 9: DisneyWorld!

The goal I accomplished in Week 9 from my 60 until 60 list was #31:

Go to DisneyWorld with the Tidds

It's no coincidence that I planned this goal for my birthday week. I am always looking for a way to escape Colorado's winter cold with a trip to somewhere warm at this time of year and there's no better way to celebrate than introducing my grandchildren to one of my favorite places: DisneyWorld!

I love the music, the princesses, the magic of Disney. I'm a sucker for those "Happily Ever After" fairy tales. My eyes still well up when I see Belle dancing with the Beast or Ariel longing to be 'Part of That World.'  

Though I know it's not the "real world," I joked that DisneyWorld was my perfect snowbird spot.  OK, maybe it would have to be Orlando with an annual Disney pass. And maybe I could get a princess dress and pretend like I was 7 years old again..  Yeah. Though they probably don't allow crazy old ladies in DisneyWorld, so.. maybe not. 

Well, I don't know about future plans, but for vacation with my daughter's family, DisneyWorld was awesome! 

What worked well:

* Perfect warm and sunny weather throughout the week (and escaping the extra cold weather at home!)

* Lines were not too long for the most part - only one that was over an hour wait

* Loved seeing the excitement from the kids

* Really noticed the beauty of everything more this time..  enjoying not as a kid, or as a parent, but as a mindful grandparent 

* Exploring the different "countries" in Epcot's World Showcase (other times at Epcot, I didn't really spend the time here, so I saw a lot for the first time.)

* Soarin' was an amazing ride at Epcot

* The fireworks at the Magic Kingdom were incredible

* Everything, from the gardens to the architecture was so beautiful, perfect, and clean

* Love the creativity and innovation

* Able to also combine with a visit to Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach

Not-so-good:

* Back aches...  Even though I put this in the "not-so-good" category, my back aches were not nearly as bad as I thought they might be. Who's back doesn't hurt after a full day of Disney?

* Expensive (but, of course, that's expected.)

In other news...

It turns out the contract I'd gotten at Anthem in Norfolk, VA, got put "on hold." Though this was a bit disappointing and surprising, I was able to quickly get back into "excited to NOT be working" mode. I really have been LOVING not going into an office every day and Spring and Summer in Colorado is beautiful. And I still have a bunch of goals left to accomplish before turning 60!

Week 8: Celebrating!

This 8th Week has been a productive week in my 60 until 60 project.  I made progress on a bunch of my house project goals while I was home in Colorado because I will soon be temporarily moving to the Norfolk, Virginia area for a new 6-month contract at Anthem!

And, of course, I've been doing a lot of celebrating, since my 59th birthday is tomorrow!

Here are some of the goals I either accomplished or made good progress with this week:


15. Contribute to any cause that a friend asks me to support
16. Participate in efforts to help those with ALS and their caregivers
22. Sing with a group
28. Host a theme party (Flamingo, Carpe Diem, Wine-Tasting, Murder Mystery, Games, Purple,etc.)
46. Sell, give-away, throwaway on organize what’s left of my books
47. Clean out my wardrobe and get rid of old clothes that I never wear
54. Fix up my room as a potential airBnB room for rent

The thing is, I don't feel like any of these are really 'done done.' I need to do a better job of defining my 'acceptance criteria'!

In March, after I get settled into my new place in Virginia, I'll do my "quarterly planning" and rework my goals based on all I learned from the first quarter.

Family Birthday Party

In the mean time,  here are a few highlights from my week:

Nancie Participating in Virtual Academy Awards Party

Singing with Dueling Pianos - Adam says I can't count this as my 'Singing with a Group' goal, but my goals, my rules..

I'm so appreciative of the birthday attention, fun gifts, and visits with friends!

Before picture of spare closet

Week 7: Goal 38 - See Movies up for Best Picture

Goal #38 on my 60 until 60 list is: See all the movies that are up for Best Picture

Like many of my goals, this turned out better than expected! I really enjoyed the variety of movies, places, and people that I saw the movies with!

Why did I want to do this?

I hardly ever go to the movies so I'm usually clueless when people start talking about their favorites. I always thought it would be fun to watch all the movies nominated for best picture and then have an Academy Awards party, so that's what I'm doing! Virtual participation is encouraged, so join in!

The movies (in the order of my favorite to least favorite):

1. Bohemian Rhapsody - I saw this in CA at the theater with my sister, Michele and my niece, Rebecca (It was our special "60 celebration since she's passionate about music!) Excellent movie! I'm voting for this one for Best Pic.  We had fun afterwards with recording a Dubsmash clip.

2. A Star is Born - I saw this at the end of last year in San Antonio with a couple friends I worked with at USAA.  I liked the music and was impressed with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Good music and good tear-jerker chick flick.


7. The Favourite - Actually, I'm just guessing this will be my 3rd favorite (or should I spell it 'favourite'?) based on the trailers.  I'd planned to see it tonight with girlfriends, Diane and Sue, but we needed to postpone until later in the week.

Update: Disappointed by this movie so moving it down to #7, but it was fun to have Sue and Diane over to my house and to be able to watch via Amazon Prime.  Still, it was $15 and totally not worth it. Weird and ridiculous ending, but maybe that's because I didn't get it. I suppose the costumes might be a reason for a nomination, but Best Picture? No way!

3. Black Panther - Even though I'm not much of a Superhero movie fan, this was surprisingly impressive! And very nice that I was able to watch this with my nephew, Reece, who could fill me in on all the Marvel backstory.

4. Green Book - I went to this on my own at a theater in Vegas during my short stay there. It was pretty interesting, though, didn't really seem 'best movie material' in my opinion.

5. Vice - I thought I'd be super-bored because I hate politics, but it was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be! And fun that Matt, Stella, and Scotty could go with me in Denver. Even though I listed this as my 6th favorite (because of the content), I was impressed with the acting and the movie.

6. Black Klansman - I saw this in Vegas with Scotty when we were at the hotel during our road-trip. It was OK but nothing special. I don't know how much of this was true because it seemed like these cops were really stupid in the way they took risks at getting caught.

8. Roma - I saw this on Netflix at home in CO with Scotty. Neither one of us liked it too much. It was too 'artsy' for my taste..  in black and white with subtitles. I actually had a hard time staying awake. This is the only movie that I liked less than I thought I would.

What worked well

• I liked not having to make decisions about which movies to see, but to just see all of them that were nominated for Best Picture.
• Good to see movies I normally wouldn't have chosen (such as Black Panther and Vice) and ending up liking more than I would have guessed.
• Nice that a couple of the movies (Roma and Black Panther) were available on Netflix.
• Great opportunity for bonding with Reece (Black Panther) and Rebecca (Bohemian Rhapsody).
• Fun to discuss the movie /socialize afterwards.
• Got me out of my comfort zone to go to a theater alone. (Green Book)
• Learned more about the nomination process for the Academy Awards
• Helped me 'prepare' for my Academy Awards Party.

What could be better

• Movies at the theater are expensive! I prefer watching them at home, but most of these were not yet available via streaming or on Netflix.
• Didn't see The Favourite yet, but will see it this week! Update: Disappointment! (See updated comments above.)