#35. go to doctor

Don't know how this got put aside until now. Yes, I went to a doctor and, as expected, it was uneventful. It happened about 4 or 5 months ago, so what few details there were are gone. It was mostly about getting family history and things like that. I believe that I even got to keep my pants on(!)

Joking aside, I'm relatively young. I am old enough that I'm beginning to appreciate my health, both currently and up until now. And prevention is the best treatment. Or something. I'm sure the medical types and insurance companies have some cutesy way to say it.

#62. upload (w/ descriptions) photos from Europe

Pretty much done. Only took...four years? It's amazing how long ago that doesn't seem. I try not to talk about it too much because it makes me sound like a pompus ass, but living in Europe for a year has left a mark on me. It seems much more vivid and familiar than things that have happened since then. I can sort of understand why people make a point of doing some traveling before embarking on "real life", but only to a point.

It's vivid, but it wasn't life changing. I'm not a different person, and I don't believe in "finding" oneself. I didn't have my mind opened up to possibilities or cultural landmarks, unless you count Eurovision. Part of this, I think, is the fact that I did this after grad school, in my mid-20s and not fresh out of high school or even undergrad. I was reasonably well informed about the world and felt comfortable in my own skin at the time.

That said, I try to encourage anyone with a passing interest in other places to travel. I'll be honest about it, though. It's more for me to live vicariously through them rather than out of some altruistic attempt on my part to have their doors of perception blown open by traveling.

#84. buy new mp3 player

Ok, let's mix it up a bit and go tech. When I put this item on the to-do list, I had a 512k(!) mp3 player. It was a pretty crummy thing, but I don't listen to it for a audial experience. I was killing time or walking to the store or something, so it did just fine. It played music, and I listened to music.

But I put a new mp3 player on the ol' Christmas list and I got one. A Zune. Two weeks later, of course, Microsoft finally ceded defeat and discontinued the thing. It's supposedly great for everything, and maybe it is. But I don't want to look at my pictures on a 1.5"x 1.5" screen. Or watch videos. Or do any of that stuff. I don't download music these days so this whole "synching" thing is also wasted on me. I'm not a mac fanboy so I wasn't angling for an iWhatever, but an mp3 player would've been good. Dump your music on it and good to go.

So I use it and it's not bad. Tons of features that I don't want or need, but it does play music while I walk to the store. And it does hold all of my music so I should not be complaining, ultimately.

#26. meet with financial planner

The last few entries I've been able to cross off have all been financial ones, and this is another one. It's all part of the idea that I really am an adult at this point and need to be doing responsible things with my future in mind.

I don't know if we're getting into this at the best time or the worst time. That is, has the economy bottomed out or is this just the eye of the storm? We'll need to wait another year at least to see if we were smart or foolish.

Even if the markets tank further, I guess it's smarter to have a long term plan rather than having all of your worldly assets stuffed in a proverbial mattress.

#20. contribute to RRSP

Did I ever. I've had friends who started contributing to their RRSP back when they were still teenagers, and it always made me a bit anxious as to what direction my financial life was taking. Given that I was hovering at the poverty line for a long time meant that I didn't have much of a contribution to make, even if I did have the money laying about.

Well, times change and I've been able to designate cash for the "to be put away" pile, and I've maxed out all of the carry-forward contribution space I've accumulated my whole life. Again, it's relieving more than feeling positive, but getting one's financial self set up is more important than how it makes you feel.

#25. keep track of household spending for consecutive months

"Consecutive months"? Talk about setting the bar low. This is one of those things that grown-ups just do. Needless to say, the fact that I don't do this eats away at me, even though I know I'm not in debt and not going in that direction.

Like most things in my life, including The 89 Project, 90% of getting me to do something is the set up. I've tried doing a budget a couple of times before but got distracted and frustrated and walked away.

Obviously, all I had to do was download a free spreadsheet template and I was good to go. Bam. Easy. I did all of 2008 and the first month of 2009 in less than 72 hours. It's absurd how relieving this all is to me. I have a set of symptoms, and I can worry about diagnosis and prognosis now. Some of those are other elements of The 89 Project, even. (Worry is not even the word, due to our frugal style and decent jobs).

In any case, the financial aspect of my life should finally be in order in the next few months. The picture, for now, is positive.

Knock on wood.

#77. get photos printed and framed

So, uh, yeah. I guess I double dipped on this one. It only took me a few months to figure it out. Does this nullify the whole exercise?