Day 11

24) Get your bowling ball drilled 4/14/07

I don't think much more has to be said about this goal then my ball was given to me in 1999.

It wasn't easy as pie to get it done either. I called them two Saturdays ago and was told the ball driller would be in Mon & Tues from 5-8pm. So after work Mon I traveled from Petrero Hill to the Presidio only to find the guy not there but in Florida (for Easter). I was told that he'd be home that night and to come back the next day, which I did, and again, no guy. This time his plane has been delayed due to a storm. I was really irritated and hinted I best be compensated for misguided treks back and forth. This Saturday I called right before drving over and spoke directly to Eric (the drill guy) to ensure he could to it that day. He could, and gave me $5 off and a pass for a free game. I also learned that I have a bad habit of bending my thumb due to all the foreign balls I've used over the years.

55) Take Moira out 20 times (1/20) 4/13/07

When Moira, my 7-year-old niece, was born, I was really good about visiting her around every other week. Then my visits with her slowed significantly, only picking up slightly when Maggie and Randy lived with her parents. This has sent periotic twinges of guilt through me, since I really want to be a pressence in her life. This goal is designed to make time with Moira habitual.

This past Friday I took the day off to hang with her, Mag, Ran, and Lucy. We had a fun time dancin' & singin' though not so much with games. She confided to Maggie and I that she's laughed at in school when she loses them. Kids are cruel, and this really solidifies why I want to be around, so she doesn't lose her self or her way. Granted it's not just school she's vulnerable to, but that's another story.

61) Visit your grandparents' graves (1/2) 4/13/07

All of my grandparents are now gone, and I miss them terribly. They're a huge reason for my new take on life because I truly regret not spending more time with them while they were here, particularly my Grandad, as he was the most open. But on the other hand, spending time with a person can open them up to you.

This Friday the above group mentioned took a drive over to Grandmother and Grandad's ashes. They're mixed together in a golden box sitting behind glass, their picture and a teddy bear, holding a fake rose, on either side. I realize now that I should have snapped a picture... so I'll probably be going back in the next two years.

62) Take a vocal coaching class 4/15/07

I love to sing. I'll admit I'm pretty intimitated by knowing so many trained singers, and this goal is designed to make me more confident in my instrument.

I found a free two hour group vocal class at the Voice Studio. These two beautiful German women instructed us on a technique called Voice Level Singing. Both of them left their homes in Germany to become certified VLS teachers here in the states, the only place the method is taught. It's been developed so singers won't strain their voices and lose full force over time. I was the first volunteer and did hear an immediate improvement doing the excercises, which I can only describe as whinning. I took a picture of the outside of the studio. Oh, and I actually knew one of the women there. She'd been in my acting class last fall. I might have signed on for an extended course this summer had they accepted credit cards, but it's probably better that they didn't. I do plan to take some sort of ongoing instruction though.