I found a great bike at bike-o-rama, and recently discovered some wonderful trails right by my house. Eli and I are planning to check out all these trails.

• ✔ Starkweather creek to Ale Asylum
• to Malthouse
• to Chocolate Shoppe for ice cream
• ✔ to Reindahl Park
• ✔ to Nick and Belinda's
• Around Lake Monona
• Around Lake Mendota
• To the farmer's market

• lemon
• frangiapanni
• vanilla
• dark chocolate
• rain
• coffee
• cinnamon
• new art supplies
• dirt

Why is it that when you learn home you learn more about yourself? Why are new places and cultures so interesting? Here's a list of where I'm going next as part of my education as a human being

• England: There's talk of a trip to Jolly Old when my brother graduates from college. I can't wait!
• Thailand: I want to ride an elephant and eat street food. Plus, then I can add Asia to my list of continents I've visited.
• New Zealand: I spent 6 months in Australia, and never ventured that last little bit. It's a mistake I've regretted.
• Amazon rainforest: I'm not sure which country I'd go to. I just want to see the trees and creatures while they are still there.

This could probably go on forever, so I'm trying to limit it to the top 10 or so. Not surprisingly, these are similar to my top smells

• Ginger
• Vanilla
• Dark chocolate
• Cupcakes of any stripe
• Anything from Bellini

I'd like to think of myself more as a Renaissance woman than a Jack of all trades, master of none. I like learning new things. Perhaps it's all the classes my mom signed me up for when I was itty bitty. Here are the things I can do and the things I want to learn how to do.

• Weave
• ✔ Dye Silk Scarves
• ✔ Knit
• ✔ Crochet
• ✔ Take black and white photos, develop
• ✔ Glass lampworking
• ✔ Glass fusing
• ✔ Stained glass
• ✔ Grow orchids
• ✔ Canning
• ✔ Bake cupcakes
• ✔ Scuba dive
• Start a dinner club
• ✔ Artist Trading Cards

There are good things that happen frequently, or are noticed and appreciated frequently. They need to be celebrated. Kurt Vonnegut's best advice was "I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is." This is the list of things that make me murmur.

• Sunday mornings, with coffee and the New York Times crossword. I am awful at crosswords. I still enjoy trying every week.
• How my cats feel about tuna. I don't love or appreciate anything as much as my cats love and appreciate tuna. Not family, not friends, nothing. My cats will lick an empty can across the floor for hours. I'm usually watching this and giggling.
• Watching fish. I will sometimes attempt ...

Because if I write them down, maybe they'll bother me less? I'll be upfront in saying I, like everyone else, am a hypocrite and am guilty of all these things at one time or another, with the possible exception of puking on the floor. That's a cat thing

• Broken promises. Why do people agree to something with no intention of following through?
• A dirty sink. I inherited this OCD behavior from my mother. I can ignore other messes, but not this.
• Stepping in cat puke. I never get used to this.
• Dishonesty. It never fails to break my heart

I go out to dinner a couple of times a month, oftentimes drinking a great wine with friends, and then completely forget what it was called. This prevents future happiness. This list is a reminder for me and a recommendation for anyone who is interested. Suggestions and volunteers to help me explore new wines are welcome.

• Anapamu Pinot Noir: I have not seen this wine in years. It's too popular for it's own good. This is my favorite.
• Hope Estate Shiraz: Perfect anytime, with anything, or by itself. This is my favorite.
• Chateau Lorane Life Force Mead: Described at a Winery by saying, "Any wine will get you drunk. This wine will make you euphoric." This is my favorite.
• Masa Carina Pinot Grigio: This wine comes from a 500 year old vineyard in the Italian mountains to the north. It tastes li...