Day 169 - Cooking

#24 - Learn 50 New Recipes: (8/50) now (11/50) - 22% Complete
Oreo Truffles
Buffalo Chicken and Cheese Dip
Cheesy Potato Casserole
Grilled Vegetables in Caramelized Italian Dressing
Cheeseburger Chowder
Eclair Cake
Minestrone Soup
New and Improved - Turbo Inside Out Burgers
... Italian Marinated Pork Chops with Perogies and Onions
... IceBox Cake
... Teriyaki Steak and Potato Croquettes

Day 149 - Birthday Surprise

#62 - Obtain: Apple Iphone - So I sent a text to Nance yesterday and told her that I was thinking about getting an iPhone. I really needed a new phone and have always wanted one. It is on the list so that is a plus too. Anyway, Nance said that if I wanted one to get it and she would help me with the cost for my birthday. . . So another one bites the dust. I also figured that since I had an iPhone I should use it to update the blog about getting it and making this possible. I'll update the list and cross it off later. Have a great weekend. I'm flying to Key West with Jen tomorrow for my birthday.

"YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT IF YOU WANT IT BADLY ENOUGH"


-- Post From My iPhone

Day 147 - 100 Visitors and Counting!!!

#80 - Get 100 people to View This Blog - I installed a counter on my blog about 30 days after I started the blog and thought that it would keep track of visitors. As of the time I am writing this I have had 654 "Visitors" to this page, but after talking to my buddy Bea and some research later I have found that a counter like this only keeps track of page views. So I needed something more accurate... Enter Google Analytics. On March 22nd I installed the Analytics tracking on my site and it as been recording data ever since. This program is amazing and keeps track of "Absolute Unique Visitors" through the use of cookies.
Over the past 18 days I have driven 128 Absolute Unique Visitors which satisfies #80 by far. It also tracks the number of Page Views, Bounce Rate, Average Page Views per Visit and Percentages to go with all of those calculations. I will post updates to #80 because I think its fascinating and its my blog!! I have also used Google WebMaster Tools, SiteMaps and Meta Tags to try to increase my google page ranking. These things should also help when I do #56, #57, and #58. Here are some screenshots from the Google Analytics Site.

Visitor Overview
Page Views of Visitors
Absolute Unique Visitors


#72 - Read 50 Books: (10/50) now (11/50)
John Grishams` - The Broker
Doyle Brunsons` - Super System
Tom Clancys` - Patriot Games
Michael L. Kurtz` - The JFK Assassination Debates: Lone Gunman Versus Conspiracy
David Dunbars` - Debunking 9/11 Myths
David Griffens` - Debunking 9/11 Debunking
Randy Pauschs` - The Last Lecture
Bonnie Szumskis` - Are Conspiracy Theories Valid?
Lifes` - The American Journey of Barack Obama
Harvey Frommers` - Remembering Yankee Stadium
... Timothy Ferris` - The Four Hour Work Week

#24 - Learn 50 New Recipes: (7/50) now (8/50)
Oreo Truffles
Buffalo Chicken and Cheese Dip
Cheesy Potato Casserole
Grilled Vegetables in Caramelized Italian Dressing
Cheeseburger Chowder
Eclair Cake
Minestrone Soup
... New and Improved - Turbo Inside Out Burgers

#77 - Do 250 Geocaches (19/250) now (31/250) Motts and I went caching in and around Westbrook today and did about a 2.5mile hike. I think we might go again tomorrow too. Exchanged the travel bug I got in Ohio with the NY Bravest travel bug, I plan on bringing all travel bugs and geocoins to the Florida Keys for placement down there.

Coming Soon - Motts is back from his world tour and wants to brew his own beers to so I think next week when I get back from The Florida Keys we will start the brewing process. I will be doing some caches in Florida. Also, it is starting to warm up so throwdowns will be coming into full swing. I will write down some rules and guidelines so if you want to challenge someone you can! That's all for now!

"YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT IF YOU WANT IT BADLY ENOUGH"

Day 142 - A Trip to Marist

#94 - Go to Trivia Night at Hyde Park Brewery - Im not going to lie it was different, and the crew wasnt there. Timy couldn`t make it and he normally runs the show at Trivia, writing down the answers, getting the answer from the right person and such. He was missed and the original crew was too. Also absent was the win! Its okay though, Collins and I represented (actually we didnt, we had been drinking for about 5 hrs at that point, the Marist green and the atmosphere will do that to you, plus Noahs and their free wings and Honey Brown, that stuffs like moonshine in Poughtown)
Anyway, We met Double Time, Apfelicus, and Kenny there and did what we could. We had the same food that we always had too... Collins got the Mozzarella Sticks and I got my Teriyaki Wings. Collins didnt even ask if I wanted them he just ordered them and when they showed up I was pumped. Collins also remembered our team name that treated us to many-a-win there, Hippity Hoopla. (It sounds better when you can yell it.) Good Times nonetheless. Thanks to Corey and Kenny for putting us up and allowing us to shower and sleep!!! Ill cross it off the list!





#100 - Make at least 5 Trips a Year to Visit Friends - This trip, coupled with my trips to Boston to see Merissa and go to Brookies` Christening, and another trip or two to see Johhny, Liz, Donny and crew puts me at 3 trips this year. Currently taking itineraries and applications for the 4th and 5th visits of this year!!

#77 - Do 250 Geocaches (19/250)... now (28/250) Collins and I got up to Fishkill around 1pm and did caches as we went up Route 9. We dropped off a TravelBug I had for a while and picked up a Supercacher GeoCoin which Ill have to cache here somewhere.

Definitions - (provided by Wiki)

Travel Bug - A Travel Bug is a registered trademark of Groundspeak, Inc. used to describe a dogtag used in Geocaching. It is moved from cache to cache, and its travels can be logged on the geocaching website (www.geocaching.com).Each travel bug tag is printed with a unique PIN, which is needed to post a log online. Some tags are fastened to an object, such as a plastic figurine, before they are let loose. Some travel bugs have missions to travel to a specific cache, location or a certain type of location. Other travel bugs simply have the goal of traveling as far and widely as possible. Similar to a travel bug, a geocoin is a coin printed with a tracking number, to allow its movement to be logged online

Geocoin - Some travel bugs have missions to travel to a specific cache, location or a certain type of location. Other travel bugs simply have the goal of traveling as far and widely as possible. Similar to a travel bug, a geocoin is a coin printed with a tracking number, to allow its movement to be logged online. They may be placed in geocaches to be found by others and kept as trophies, moved from cache to cache like a Travel Bug, traded, given to other cachers like a calling card, or merely sold and collected.


In other News - I am going to start cooking a little more and also have a couple books that I have to read that I got from the library. I am also probably going to go Vegetarian for the last 30 days before Day 180. Check out Collins` blog too. Read it here!

"YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT IF YOU WANT IT BADLY ENOUGH"

Day 133 - Roller Coaster Research

So I was bored last night and I decided that I would do some research for #35 - Go on 10 of the top 25 Roller Coasters in the World. I visted about 10 websites and took notes on them. I then put most of the results in this spreadsheet and then copied it to a photo so I could share it with you. There are 25 coasters on the list, all of them, and most of them have received various 1-10 rankings, as you can see. They are all across the World and I am happy to say that most are in areas of the world that I plan to visit, ie; california, Japan, England, and Cedar Point in Ohio. There are 15 Roller Coasters at Cedar Point in Ohio including Millenium Force, Top Thrill Dragster, The Raptor, and Magnum XL-200 that are on the Top 25 List. If you have any suggestions or something that should be on the list that I missed feel free to let me know.

If you click on the photo it will enlarge


#1 - I have had a headache all week and consulted with my dietician extrodanaire James Harrington and I think I am on the right track to this goal. I am taking vitamins and eating hard boiled eggs for protein. So far I have just been watching what I eat and eating low-carb. If I have to kick it into another gear I will have to go veggy for the last 30 days. I do have to remember to drink more water! Its funny how quickly your body adapts though... I am excited about this one.

I am also working on another goal that some of you got an email about. More emails to follow so dont flip out if you didnt get one! No word from the Yankees yet, I was really hoping to get a call from them and cross off #32. Thats it for now...

"YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT IF YOU WANT IT BADLY ENOUGH"

Day 129 - #1 Update

Well my most important goal is fast approaching and it is time to get serious about it. Tomorrow will be Day 130 - so that only leaves 50 days to get to my weight loss goal and to cross #1 of my list. If I don`t get this one the rest of the list would be incomplete with out it and I didnt drive 3000 miles to and from New Orleans to not make this list happen... Probably going to go Alcohol Free and might cross off #84 while I`m at it - Go Vegatarian for 30 days... I would assume nothing drops weight like eating only lettuce for 30 days. Well wish me luck! I think Im going to need it.

Mardi Gras Update - Day 126

#36 - So It was Monday Night, February 23rd... Caturano asked me if I wanted to meet him and Amy down at Chips for a drink, so I did. When I get there I get a drink and I asked him why he didnt respond to my text. (I had texted him Sunday asking him if he wanted to drive down to New Orleans) He said he thought I was kidding, and then said Lets Go Right Now! So we did... We left Clinton around 11:00pm and got down to New Orleans about 22hrs later... Got there at 9pm or so and took down a couple beers in the shower and then hit bourbon street. Its basically exaclty the way you would imagine it. I convinced this girl to fill up 50oz. Miller Lite Bottles with hurricanes for Amy and I and Mike had one with Miller Lite. GOOD TIME HAD BY ALL!!!
So that takes care of half of #36! I`m pumped about that. Maybe Carnival next year!
((MORE PICTURES TO FOLLOW))





#1 - Lose 40lbs by Day 180 - The Problem with all this partying is that #1 has become a problem... It is going to be very close. I have 54 days to lose the remander of the 40lbs, which is just about 40lbs. LOL. But anyway, I will be hitting the pavement and getting it done!

#30 - Hit a 90 In Golf - Made my first golf apperance of the year yesterday and played 9 holes at Traditions in Wallingford. I hit a honest 53, so I was excited about that. That was 17 over of the par of 36 which sounds ugly, but it was the first time out and my driver was going straight... If I can get the two 10s off the scorecard my chances of hitting a 90 are not that bad... We will see. I think this is one of the hardest ones on my list as I dont really see myself as a good golfer. But I will keep working on it.

#74 - Don`t drink for a month - Wouldnt you know that my one month of not drinking came to an end at Mardi Gras, the 24th to the 24th. That is probably why I ended up so trashed and playing poker at Harrahs in New Orleans (which I walked to) at 2am in the morning. At least playing poker then helps me get to #98 as well... Anyway, Ill cross #74 off the list.



#77 - Do 250 Geocaches - Now 19/250. I did 2 in Boston with Collins when we went there to go to Brooke`s christening, and I did 3 along Bourbon Street in Lousiana. I logged them and will change the list!

#96 - Get a Cactus and Keep it Alive - Christmas cactus is still kicking, I am excited about this eventhough you are probably making fun of me for not being able to keep a cactus alive. Its my goal! So get off my back!


Sorry for the delays between blogs, Im sure no one died holding their breath!!!

"YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT IF YOU WANT IT BADLY ENOUGH"