Summer 2011

High school’s over. Summer’s here. For the first time in a long time, there’s no summerschool to attend, no summer camps to participate in. I have three months to kill. But it’s always the same story for me. Having three months to do anything I wanted seemed great at first… until I got lazy and ended up on the couch in front of the TV, watching Giada chop up basil. (That chicken parmesan looks good, maybe I should stroll on over to the kitchen and make something…ooh, Rachel Ray)

But this could possibly be the last obligation-free summer I will ever have, except maybe for the three summer reading assignments I have to complete for college. So I might as well make the best of it. Try productivity, or commitment, or the simple satisfaction of crossing things off a list. It’s knowing that I’m getting things done. Whatever it is, at least it’s something.

So I’ve compiled a list, well four lists of the books I plan to read, the movies I need to watch to bring myself up to date with humanity, the calories I want to consume, and the things I want to do. Eighteen’s the magic number, because I’m an “adult” now.

72 strikethroughs through 72 goals. 72 checkmarks on this to do(ne) list. 72 adventures in 90 days.

Let’s do this.

List of Books to Read:

1. Pride and Prejudice
2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
3. Lolita
4. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
5. Waiting for Godot
6. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
7. Catch-22
8. Cat’s Cradle
9. The Sun Also Rises
10. Wide Sargasso Sea
11. Brave New World
12. The Kite Runner
13. The Secret Life of Bees
14. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
15. The Good Earth
16. Summer Reading Assignment
17. Summer Reading Assignment
18. Summer Reading Assignment

List of Movies to Watch:

1. 500 Days of Summer
2. Avatar
3. Inception
4. Across the Universe
5. Slumdog Millionaire
6. Everything is Illuminated
7. Easy A
8. Tangled
9. The Hangover
10. The Hangover 2
11. A Clockwork Orange
12. 40 Year-Old Virgin
13. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
14. Crazy Stupid Love
15. Blue Valentine
16. Toy Story 3
17. Despicable Me
18. The Social Network

List of Things to Make/Bake:

1. Carrot Cake
2. Red Velvet Something
3. PB & J Something
4. Cheesecake Something
5. Banana Bread
6. Nectarine Cobbler
7. Chocolate Orange Cookies
8. Magic Bars
9. Pound Cake
10. Cream Scones
11. Orange Cake
12. Chocolate and Banana Ravioli
13. Donuts
14. Crepes
15. Peanut Butter Granola Bars
16. Cheese Danish
17. Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Filling
18. Watermelon Granita

List of Things to Do:

1. Start jogging
2. Start a blog
3. Get a job
4. Go to a museum
5. Go to LA Art Walk
6. Buy a Crumbs Cupcake for myself
7. Recycle an old article of clothing creatively
8. Eat at the Oinkster
9. Eat food from a Food Truck
10. Go hiking
11. Write and send letters
12. Learn 10 new friendship bracelet designs
13. Have a picnic
14. Cook dinner (once)
15. Draw/sketch/paint a poem
16. Get a new hairstyle
17. Write a short story about tiramisu and tulips
18. Learn a new mode of transportation