Update: 101 in 1001

We're getting close to the halfway point of our 101 in 1001 list, so I thought I'd post a detailed update. The "completed" list might look a little bleak--we've only managed to check 27 items off the list--but we have some in progress that are getting pretty close!

Get a dog (yeah... This one has kind of been pushed the back burner. It may get trumped by a different "addition")

Landscape the house (trees planted 9/26/10--hopefully we'll get the rock trim down this spring!)

Skydive (another possibly doubtful one, although I want to go parasailing next time we are at the beach, so that might take the place of this one)

Go skiing in the Rocky Mountains (still holding out for this one to happen; we've got two more winters to get there!)

*Personal* (and 75% completed!)

Build a lower deck in our backyard (done! 9/24/11)

Go to a professional dinner theater (maybe sometime this winter when we're getting cabin fever from the cold)

Go horseback riding (been having a hard time finding in good horseback riding opportunities around here; any suggestions?)

Get passports and use them (we've got them....and we've got a plan to use them)

Reach $20,000 in savings (we're getting close--and pending no major surprises, we should be there by Valentine's Day!)

Go to an amusement park (not so sure when we'll get this one in... I guess we could always hit Valley Fair in MN, although Darrell doesn't think that counts as a "real" amusement park)

Go on a date once a month (so far so good!)

Take a wine tasting course (still looking for some good possibilities for this!)

Go white-water rafting (still have my fingers crossed that we can get this one in, but not sure when or where!)

Go to a real zoo (aka not the one in Sioux Falls--but maybe Omaha next summer?)

Camp in five State Parks (Custer 7/28/10; Farm Island 9/4/10, Newton Hills 5/21/11, Roy Lake 9/3/11--only one more to go!)

Take old-timey photos (done! 7/26/10--although I so want to do it again!)

Play all of our classic board games (I survived playing Risk! We've only got Clue left now, and we need more than two people for that--any takers?)

Put a puzzle together (done! 1/23/11)

Bike around the Sioux Falls bike trails (we were going to this summer, but they have been massively under construction. Hopefully next summer!)

Go to a DI football game (done! Nebraska vs SDSU 9/25/10)

Organize the basement (I kind of got started this summer... But never got all the way there so now it's a mess again)

Have a movie marathon (we have the "Bourne" movies...now just to find time to watch all three!)

Watch five classic movies (I'm considering getting a one-month free trial membership to Netflix so we can get this one off our list--and then promptly closing our membership so it doesn't cost us anything!)

Go cross-country skiing (hopefully this winter!)

Spend a night on the Appalachian Trail (another one that is looking more and more unlikely--mostly because of the logistics (and cost!) of getting out East)

Go snowshoeing (another one I hope to get done this winter!)

Go sledding (see above!)

Take ballroom dance lessons (maybe in the winter/spring to keep us from getting cabin fever?)

Help someone pulled over on the interstate (there's always lots of opportunity for this in the winter...)

Go to a shooting range (I think there is one in Sioux Falls? Haven't looked into this one too much)

Shop at a Farmer's Market (done--albeit anti-climatically. 10/22/11)

Order a restaurant meal that we can't pronounce (I'm pretty sure we've done this, we just need to remember to write it down some time)

Eat at Touch of Europe (done! 8/13/10 and a few more times after that--if you've never been you should go, it's great!)

Have a romantic picnic (I might be getting this one taken care of this weekend if I can get the hubby on board...)

Go stargazing (not too worried about this one; we can pretty well take care of it whenever)

Go skinny dipping (guess we'll have to do this next summer if we don't want to freeze our tushies off in the winter!)

Eat a lobster (our grocery store flew them in from the East Coast last Valentine's Day--maybe we'll partake this year?)

Be greeters at church (done! 2/13/11, and now again in two weeks!)

Play bocce ball (done! 9/4/10)

Ride a trolley (we have one in downtown; it seems like it'd be such an easy one to cross off!)

Go on a carriage ride (done! 8/13/10)

Start a garden (done! 5/22/11. Here's to hoping next summer is more successful!)

Host a holiday party (we don't have any plans in the works for this holiday season, so maybe next year!) 

Buy new kitchen chairs (done! 10/8/10--although we just finished assembling them last week!)

Go to a homecoming at Wartburg (done! 10/23/10)

Visit the State Capitol (done! 9/4/10)

Go ice skating outdoors (done! 1/22/11)

Give $3000 in offerings to church (honestly not sure where we are on this one; probably pretty close I imagine)

Take a canoe trip (hopefully next summer!)

Fly a kite (we've got plenty of wind in these parts, now all we need is a kite!)

Go to a Pow-wow (done! 9/2/11)

Go to a State Fair (we're going to have to get this one in next fall!)

Throw a dart at the map and go where it lands (maybe another good one to escape cabin fever this winter)

Spend a weekend at my parent's lake cabin (another one that seems so simple--all we need is a free weekend!)

Read "The 5 Love Languages" (Almost. Done!)

Go to a Pheasants game (it's on the agenda for summer 2012!)

*Personal*

Tour a battleship (done! Beach Week 2011)

Make one of the drinks on our drink mixer (done! 3/5/11)

Go to a driving range together (done! 8/14/10)

Carve pumpkins (done! 10/30/11)

Make a decision by flipping a coin (hmm... I'm thinking it might be fun to combine this one with "throwing a dart at the map". Sounds like it could make for an adventurous weekend)

Clean and organize the garage (done! May 2011)

Insulate the garage (probably won't happen; our realtor informed us that we probably wouldn't get our money back out of this project when it came time to sell, and we don't need it insulated for ourselves, so probably not worth it)

Celebrate Christmas morning at our house (Christmas 2012 is looking like the best candidate!)

Go to a museum (done! 9/4/10--SD Cultural and Heritage Museum)

Go to an art gallery

Stay at a Bed and Breakfast

*Personal*

Complete the wine passport for downtown Sioux Falls (the actual program doesn't exist anymore, but we're still going to try to do it on our own....hopefully...)

--Darrell's items--

Get an eagle (while golfing, not the animal)

Golf eighteen holes in under 85 strokes (he's going to need to do a lot of golfing next summer to take care of this one and the previous one!)

Visit Mount Rushmore (done! 7/26/10)

Learn a song on the guitar (we'll see about this... If I were a betting person I'd say doubtful)

Get a new computer (this has gotten back-burnered since I got my new work computer)

Randomly send Jess flowers (I keep trying to drop hints on this one...)

Be hoakey and agree to see the project through to completion (he's doing pretty well so far... Minus the fact that he hasn't made much progress on his portion of the list)

Hang hammocks in the basement (our tent is hanging up down there right now--close enough?)

Build a wine rack for the kitchen (we almost impulsively bought one a few weeks ago--guess he would have been off the hook!)

Surprise Jess with a romantic dinner (dropping hints on this one too...)

Take a photography class (he's taken a pseudo-photo editing class, so that's pretty close)

Learn how to drive a boat/pontoon (hopefully next summer!)

Pay off car (done! We celebrated this milestone in July 2011!)

Start swimming laps again (I bought him goggles over the summer; not sure if he's used them yet or not!)

Donate one gallon of blood (he's maybe half-way? Better start reminding him on this one too!)

--My goals--

Donate hair to Locks of Love (done! Finally! 5/23/11)

Run a 10K (I almost signed up for one this summer but then chickened out. Guess it'd better get my butt in gear for next summer!)

Read 25 books (I currently have 15 reviews on my blog, and have read a few more than that. I'll make this goal no problem!)

Not buy clothes or shoes for two months (my goal is to start this December 1st... We'll see if that happens)

Enter a writing contest (eek. That means I need to do more writing...)

Have a "Pirates" marathon (any takers? Darrell refuses)

Mow the yard (I managed to go all summer without doing this. Not sure if that is good or bad)

Finish our wedding scrapbook (done! 12/14/10)

Score a goal (success! August 2011)

Get comfortable driving Darrell's car (I've been working on talking a big game from the passenger seat, but haven't actually gotten behind the wheel yet)

Bake a cheesecake with no cracks (not yet--maybe this will be my Thanksgiving dessert!)

Sing karaoke  (the opportunity just hasn't come up! bummer)

Subscribe to a cooking magazine and make a recipe out of every issue (I've been getting a magazine for eight months now and have made one recipe... I've got a ways to go!)

Get and use a gym membership (got it on 8/1/10....need to get better at using it)

Get all my stuff cleaned out of my parent's house (done! Summer 2011)

Oofta! Maybe we aren't doing as well as I had thought, even with the ones that are close! I try to look at the list every once in awhile just to make sure we are at least making some progress, but I guess I'll have to step it up for the next 500-ish days!