100 Things I Want To Do in 2011

1. Draw 100 drawings 2.  Go to the oyster bar in Grand Central 3.  See the spring blossoms in Central Park with Gus  4.  See a dentist  5.  Go to the breast doctor 6.  Have an art show  7.  Sell prints of my work 8.  Sublet my apartment for the summer  9.  Go to California for the summer  10.  Read 10 books  11.  Memorize a poem by heart  12.  create a visual list of favorite New York for the blog  13.  Cook Julia Child’s Beuf Bouruignon   14.  See a movie at the Paris Theater  15. Take a tour of the UN  16.  Make at least [private] a month after taxes  17.  Keep the kitchen table free of clutter  18.  Lose the last of the pregnancy weight—6 lbs. to go!  19.  Buy a shade of lipstick that I love  20.  Do an art project with Luke and Lily  21.  Keep my desk free of clutter  22.  Make business cards 23.  Create 3 issues of Forgive Me (2 down, 1 to go) 24.  Take an improv class  25.  Eat a dessert I’ve never had before  26.  Go back to Bemelman’s bar  27.  Send flowers to one if not more of my friends  28.  Find care for Gus two days a week  29.  Have a plan to go see Mindy in Africa in 2012  30.  Buy flowers every week in March 31.Publish my birth story  32. write a song  33.  Make a zine of the Artist in the Nursery interviews  34.  Interview Neal Pollack and Regina Allen 35.  Take Gus for a swim lesson  36.  Go away overnight with Graham  37.  Eat onion rings at the Waverly diner  38.  Be healthy for my birthday  39.  Make a new friend  40.  See the Maira Kalman exhibit at the Jewish Museum 41. Get my muumuu tailored into a dress  42.  Go for a morning walk on the beach with Gus in Santa Cruz  43.  Have coffee or tea with Noria and Kim in California  44.  Send thank you cards to Judy S. & Pam & Jack  45.  Draw On the Road 46.  Frame Gus’ knit jeans  47.  Draw the James Beard Cookbook 48. Replace Christmas lights in kitchen  49.  Open up a post office box 50.  Draw beef cuts  51.  Draw To Kill a Mockingbird 52.  Draw Mastering the Art of French Cooking (uncovered) 53.  Donate money to PIH again  54.  Interview Ani DiFranco  55.  Buy and wear a vintage dress I love  56.  Sell another book idea  57.  Draw a picture of Mama Kitty & Kingsley (preferably before she dies) 58.  Go on a pilgrimage to Patti Smith & Robert Mapplethorpe’s first apartment in Brooklyn.  59.  Have chocolate Babka at Russ and Daughter’s.  60.  Re-do web site  61.  Send out at least 1 illustration mailer  62.  Have Gus tested for lead 63.  Go on 5 solo hour long walks  64.  Do an artistic summit with Meg  65. Get new prescription for my glasses  66.  Draw a family portrait 67.  Go to at least one reading  68.  Arrange an event of some kind  69.  Investigate acupuncture for migraines  70.  Read Oliver Sack’s book on migraines  71. Send out 3 short stories to lit mags  72.  See BH at least 6 times.  73.  Eat a pastrami sandwich at Katz’ Delicatessen  74.  Visit the lobby at the Pierre Hotel  75.  Go to the photobooth with Gus at least 3 times  76.  Write a manifesto  77.  Get computer tuned up & up to speed  78.  Buy photoshop 79.  Send Peets a card  80.  Create a book stamp  81.  Create stationary cards  82.  make homemade pickles  83.  buy a new printer or get the old one fixed  84.  taste caviar  85.  get my turquoise ring fixed  86.  do another purge and declutter this fall  87.  draw my niece Fiona 88.  visit the cooking archives at NYU  89.  Sew buttons on my black cardigan 90. transfer bank accounts to credit union 91.  Send Fritz Karch a fan letter 92.  Draw the 1946 edition of the Joy of Cooking 93.  Clean up & hang the old store signs I got from Mr. Cronin 94. busk in the NYC subway again 95. Get a tattoo from Kai 96. Discover 50 new songs I like 97. Draw a portrait of my neighbor Barbara 98. Read a book with Graham 99. Create and send the group mail project. 100.  make a small movie about my 100 things in 2011

What am I nuts??  Another freaking TO DO list?  That’s why I named it things I WANT TO DO.  We’ll see how it goes.  I came up with this idea a couple days ago when I was writing in my journal.  The life list is great and all, but sometimes the LIFE LONG thing sort of defuses the urgency.  I thought, what are some things I’d like to do in RIGHT NOW or in the next 11 months–from practical to fanciful?  Some of them are already in the works:

I’ve already done 15 drawings for #1; I have an appointment scheduled for #62.  I have the stuff together for#49.

Some of them are related to each other like #25 & #59 and numbers 47, 50-52, & 87 all relate to # 1.

Someone asked me recently in an interview I did for Great Gals why I liked lists so much.  I said it was because lists immediately organize ideas and give you clear beginning and end points.  Also, they inadvertantly tell great stories.  I like the story this list has the POTENTIAL to tell.  However, lists can’t control outcomes or the future, so we’ll see what ACTUALLY happens–still, it’s nice to know what needs to be done and what I’d like to get done and what I’d like to experience NOW and not later.

Anybody want to share what they are up to this year?