20 Things I Want To Do This Summer

I've been contemplating this list for a few days, without knowing for sure what I'd like to have on it.  I think in part, it stemmed from a planned and then abandoned post about my New Years Resolutions.  (Abandoned because all I've really done from that list is get back in shape!  Which, to be fair, is all I really cared strongly about at the time.)  Instead, I want to make a new list, focused toward the summer, mostly because the winter was SO SO awful this year.  Much of the list should be Chicago-centered, I think.  Both because I live here and because, depending on the job market, this could be my last full summer here.  But I want to account for work goals, too.

An added challenge to this list is working with the VERY tight budget I have going.  So the goals are meant to be a balance of fun, work, and Chicago/summer appreciation.  Here goes!

1. Continue to shop for fruits and veggies at Morse Market as much as humanly possible.  Between bikes and not minding the mile and a half walk each way, it shouldn't be too difficult.  The challenge is to resist the overpriced and fine yet less-awesome produce a stone's throw away at the Big Chain store.
2. Similarly, I'd like to make biking to the Green City Market a regular staple.  Bee is actually the trendsetter for numbers one and two here, but now that I've seen the good things that come from both of these places, how can I not place them high on the summer to-do list?
3. Speaking of food, and acknowledging that this blows the budget requirement out the window, I want to go to Green Zebra once this summer.  We've only been twice, both times in winter, and I really want to try their summer or spring menu!
4. One more food goal: Grill and eat in the park or on the beach regularly!  We've been talking about it all winter and can't wait to get this going.
5. OK, on to fitness.  I want to stay in shape!  My cardio goal is always 250 minutes per week, but I think I need to add weights, etc.  And not get injured.  This should be easy, given my schedule.  But so far it's been a little hard to balance, because mornings are so my time to shine that I want to work out AND get work done in the morning, so it's sometimes been hard to decide what to do when.
6. Speaking of research: So far I've done 13 interviews for my dissertation.  Many were done in about a month's time.  While that currently has me scrambling to catch up on transcription (which is hellishly awful and boring), it does tell me that I can get a lot done rather quickly if need be.  So, I'll be happy if I have 40 done by the end of the summer.  (The goal had been 50 total, but I'm considering upping it to 75.  Wanna be done with data collection at the end of '08.  Blah blah blah.)
7. Send out a publication. 
   
8. Outline and/or draft the first two chapters of my dissertation.  Create a skeleton for the rest of it.
   
9. Now back to more "fun" stuff:  Take at least one full day off each week.  Guilt free.
   
10. Perhaps this is cheating since it's already planned, but Bee and I have always wanted to do more regional traveling, so finally getting to Milwaukee and Madison is a big to-do!
11. Museum free days.
12. Catch a little league game in the park.
13. See about getting this book club thing going with friends. 
    
14. Lots of swimming and laying in the sun.
15. Finish Project 365 on July 1.  (CAN'T WAIT TO BE DONE!)
16. Play lots of catch with Bee.
17. Have an Apples to Apples party again!
18. Make it to Medium on Guitar Hero
19. Continue Team ATWM's showings at Ole St. Andrew's Trivia Night
20. Oh yeah, and get ready to get married!