Weekend Update.

7. Watch all movies on AFI's top 100 (30/100) - in progress

I watched Casablanca on Friday, which I ended up loving. I'm not sure why -- maybe because it showed a different side of World War II I didn't know about with all the French coming down to Casablanca to escape to America, but maybe also because I was rooting for the love story part of it. Because let's face it, after all -- I am a girl.

8. Read 50 books (42/50) - in progress

I read Eli Wiesel's "Night" in an afternoon last week. I think I was rushing through it just because I'm so ready to be done with Anna Karenina, but it was a powerful piece. I hope to be done with AK today -- it's on my "Things You Will Do Monday by Penalty of Death" list I made last night, which is apparently the only way I can motivate myself on my days off.

25. Learn to cook 52 recipes and organize them in one place (28/52) - in progress

My mom got me probably 10 cookbooks for my birthday, and wouldn't you know it, the first recipe I try back at home is ripped out of a magazine. I made a three-pepper spicy pizza, which was yes, delicious, but also not lying about the spicy factor. It called for a red pepper, a pablano pepper and eight pepperocinis, but I didn't see the pepperocinis at the grocery, so I just chose two hot yellow peppers, and I was all nervous it wouldn't be as good or as spicy as it should be... lies. First bite I took I was almost crying. But on the brighter side, I drank a lot more water that day?

30. Use my library card to take out 25 books (14/25) - in progress

I took out "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan, because a friend recommended it to me before I graduated. I haven't started it yet (damn you, Anna Karenina) but I'm becoming more interested in the impact my decisions about food have on the environment around me.

90. Use cards that have compiled in my home desk - in progress

I used these to write thank-you notes last week for my birthday, and I also sent a birthday card today, so I'm making progress... a few are holiday-specific, and one is for my daughter, so I'm not sure I'll use that one by 2011. Unless anyone wants to be my surrogate daughter for a quick second? I offer hugs and a (birthday, I think) card.

93. Acquire the basic spices for my kitchen - accomplished

I'm going to consider this accomplished, because I was just looking through the list & realized that first of all, I haven't bought new spices in quite some time (although that may be a product of the fact I simply have not cooked anything besides chicken and eggs in approximately 8,000 days) and second of all, the lazy Susan where I keep my spices is full. Pretty sure I have the basics by now. On a related note, I'm growing my own basil and chives (and something else I can't identify by sight and have forgotten the name of) from seeds and I just repotted them, and I am afraid once again that I have killed them. My green thumb is not so green.

Getting better on keeping up with the prompts, and I may exercise today. When I woke up, I put on my exercise clothes so I'll feel supremely guilty if I end up vegging on the couch... I think that may work? It's also on my list of Things I Will Do Monday by Penalty of Death, so I suppose I should follow through on that. I should've put something noble on there, like "Save the world," or "Get rid of the disgusting trash smell that currently permeates my downstairs." Alas.

-- Till next time.