Day Zero Project - My 101 Things in 1001 Days

Hi internet friends!

 

It has been a while since I last posted and a lot has changed. With a new month here I wanted to kick off with a little something different.  I recently stumbled upon the Day Zero Project  and with many things changing in my personal life I wanted to make my own 101 list to complete in 1001 days (roughly 2.75 yrs).  I will keep this post updated as challenges are in progress and completed, as well as post pictures about some of the challenges.  If you feel inspired to start your own Day Zero Project good luck and keep me posted on your progress :)

Start Date: September 3, 2013

End Date: May 31, 2016

Personal Development

1.  Clean basement/bedroom at parents place and donate items no longer need
2.  Encourage someone to create their own 101 in 1001
3.  Complete a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days
4.  Eat at five new restaurants  (0/5)
5.  Read unread books on bookshelf

6. Complete 7 goals in a week (0/7)
7. Grow something from a seed
8. Perform 5 random acts of kindness (0/5)
9. Take an archery class
10. start writing for blog again
11. Have a penguin encounter

Healthy Living

12. Stop biting my fingernails

13. Go a month without drinking soda (0/31)

14. Go to dermatologist

15. Find out blood type

16. Complete C25K
17. Complete a 'Walk To Mordor' challenge
18. Complete a 200 Sit-ups Challenge
19. lose weight – personal goal 15-20 lbs
20. Complete a 100 Pushups Challenge
21.  Eat three (3) things I’ve never tried before (0/3)
22. Get a pedicure 
23. Get a massage 
24. Cook at home every night for one month (0/31)
25.  Don't eat fast food for a month (including Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts) (0/31)

26. Don't eat out for a month (0/31)
27. Don't eat sweets for a month (0/31)

Family, Friends and Love

28. Adopt a rescue pet
29. Volunteer at an animal shelter &/or zoo
30. Research my family tree
31. Help a friend move 
32. Have a romantic weekend away 
33. Take a romantic walk on the beach

34. Enjoy a romantic dinner
35. Call (5) friends I haven’t talked to in a while (0/5)

Being Creative

36. When possible, blog & photograph the tasks I complete

37. Blog daily for 30 consecutive days (0/30)

38. Leave an inspirational note inside a book for someone to find

39. Perform a Chinese fire drill

40. Participate in BookCrossing

41. Make a list of the 100 best experiences of my life

42. Write a 101 list of things I have already completed

43. Make a list of the books I have read
44. Make a list of 50 places I would like to visit in my lifetime
45. Make a list of my 50 favorite movies
46. Make a list of 100 songs that I love
47. Finish novel and submit it for publication
48. Take a photo a day for one year (0/365)
49. Take a photo of the same place very month for one year, then turn it into a calendar for the next year (0/12)
50. Create a photo album from Cross Country Road Trip
51. Create a family photo album 
52.  Organize photo collection

53. Create/Organize cookbook of family recipies

Experiences and Travel

54. Visit a Disney theme park during a holiday season
55. Ride in a horse drawn carriage
56. Visit Museum of Moving Pictures
57. Visit Titanic Museum
58. Travel across the Brooklyn Bridge
59. Visit Atlantic City Boardwalk
60. Go pumpkin and apple picking in the fall
61. Go on vacation with a group of friends
62. Take a vacation to a tropical destination
63. Make (realistic) plan for trip to a foreign country
64. Go backpacking
65. Practice derby w/ (5) teams from different states (0/5)
66. Go to a music festival
67. Go kayaking or white water rafting 
68. Watch the sunset on a beach 
69. Visit Gettysburg National Military Park 
70. Witness an electrical storm in tornado alley

71. Visit New Orleans
72. Visit Las Vegas
73. Attend 10 different ethnic festivals (0/10)
74. Attend The Big E
75. Attend King Richard's Faire

Home

76. Organize home office
77. Decorate home for each holiday

Financial

78. Save 1 months’ salary
79. Save 3 months’ salary (0/3)
80. Save 6 months’ salary (0/6)
81. Go 1 week without buying anything (0/7)
82. Go 1 month without buying coffee and instead put money into a trip fund when tempted to buy a cup. (0/31)
83. Create monthly budget 
84. Save $5 for every item completed to spend at the end of the 1001 days 
85. Save my change during the duration of this challenge and cash in my change jar to use for an overseas trip

86.  Get a new Mac
87. Start an emergency fund
88. Save $500 in an emergency fund
89.  Read comic collection
90. Complete 5 unfinished video games currently in my gaming library  (0/5) 

Food and Entertainment

91.  Take a formal cooking class
92. Cook an Indian meal from scratch
93.  Learn to make Steak Diane without setting anything on fireGo to the Ben & Jerry's factor
94. Drink only water for 1 week (0/7)
95. Watch all of IMDB'S Top 250 Movies (0/250)
96. Watch a movie at a drive-in
97. Open a cookbook to a random page and make whatever is on it 
98. Go see a musical 
99. Go on a zipline
100.  Make bubble tea
101.  Go out to a fancy restaurant for dinner 

In Progress

Roller Rebels All Stars vs GSR Ironbound Maidens - March 9th

Saturday March 9th the Roller Rebels All Stars will take on the GSR Ironbound Maidens.  Mark your calendars and grab your tickets soon because you won't want to miss the action!  REBELS BOOM!

Annual Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser Sunday March 3

Mark your calendars and come out for a morning of pancakes, mimosas and derby chics. That's right Sunday March 3 is the Long Island Roller Rebels annual pancake breakfast fundraiser at Mr Beery's in Bethpage. 

First Scrimmage of 2013 and an Angry Penguin Block

The Long Island Roller Rebels kicked off our 2013 season this weekend with an awesome scrimmage against Suburbia Roller Derby.  It was the All Stars first real practice/scrimmage of 2013 and it was a blast.  Suburbia was a great competitor and it made the freezing morning worth waking up for.   This scrimmage brought out some familiar faces as we played against Little Loca and Helda Raise who I first meet in November 2011 when they were skating with the Roller Rebels and I was one of the new freshbloods.  It is now a full season later and I'm entering my second season with the Roller Rebels and I got to skate against some of the ladies I looked up to during my freshblood period.  It was a challenging bout with many hard hits and trying to keep out of the box while remembering all of the new rule changes, but overall the scrimmage was amazing.

I want to give props to the lovely ladies of the Roller Rebels All Stars.  I love all the vets and can't wait for another awesome season together, but to the new additions of the All Stars charter - Berry Boom Boom, TNTeeny, Kissin' Kate Brawler, Crashtastic Cate, and Bad As* Nat - you all kicked ass!  Flossy I missed you this weekend and can't wait to see your booty blocking out on the track! Thank you to the ladies of Suburbia for making the trip out to us and putting up with the cold rink. I also want to thank the NSOs and refs who came out to keep us all in check, as well as the 2013 freshbloods and rookies who were there helping and cheering us on.  Love you all!

If you want to check out some of the action live mark your calendar for Saturday March 9th as the All Stars take on GSR Ironbound Maidens.  You can get your tickets HERE.  You can also come show some Rebel love at our annual pancake breakfast fundraiser on Sunday March 3 at Mr. Beery's from 10a-2p.  More information about the fundraiser can be found HERE.

Below is an awesome photo sequence captured and animated by Rick Odell that I couldn't help but share.  Definitely not a bad way to kick off the season.  Thanks Rick!

Becoming a Long Island Roller Rebel

I'm a skater for the Long Island Roller Rebels and this is my first season playing roller derby.  I'm a rookie skating for the All Stars and loving every minute of it.  It took me almost 2 years to find a team to skate for but the last 7 months with the Roller Rebels have been an experience I will never forget.  The funny part is that derby had never even occurred to me until I was unable to find a place to play ice hockey in the city.  I looked for a year with no luck and was on the verge of giving up my search when I stumbled upon a group of ladies in Gotham Girls Roller Derby jackets.  I had no idea what that would mean at the time, but 2.5 yrs. later it was the start of one of the most interesting and amazing experiences of my life so far. 

Being a roller girl can mean different things to different people.  Some might think nothing of it while others may find it to be the coolest thing ever.  Granted I may be biased since I'm a skater, but to me being a roller girl is a liberating experience with an opportunity to have an outlet to vent my daily frustrations in an environment that is accepted and encouraged... So long as it is against an opposing skater of course.  

My personal introduction to derby took place in March 2010.  Whip It had already been released and I know what you’re thinking, but I had not seen it.  It took less than one bout (aka game) to have me completely hooked.  I attended the season opener for the Gotham Girls and went on a mad search for a pair of derby skates so that I could participate in their boot camps.  I have practically grown up on skates having spent 8 years figure skating and almost the same amount of time playing ice hockey, but my first time on quads had me land flat on my face.  It took a few months to adapt to the skates.  Learning how my body reacted to their movement and taking my experience on the ice and adapting it to a sport that had me standing on 8 wheels.   

By November 2010 I thought I was ready to tryout for GGRD.  In all honesty I wasn't sure what I expected from tryouts.  I had a feeling that the skating level that GGRD was at was beyond my level at the time, not that I couldn’t keep up but if you’ve ever seen those ladies skate you would know exactly what I mean.   I waited anxiously to find out if I had made the first round of cuts, and waiting for the call left me on the edge of my seat all night.  When I finally got the call I couldn’t believe it.  The fact that I had made it through the first round of tryouts was amazing and I was ready to go for the next round.  I was not discouraged when I didn’t make it to the third round as part of their freshmeat class.  Instead it left me feeling very good about myself and my skating (having not been on skates for 4 years prior) and wanting to work that much harder to prepare for tryouts the following November.

I spent all of 2011 finding my footing, going to bouts, watching and learning the sport of derby.  By the time tryouts rolled around I wanted to try something new.  Living in New York City left me with a few options so I started doing some research about other leagues in the area and found one that I thought could be a good match for me.  The Long Island Roller Rebels had their tryouts in October 2011 and I jumped at the opportunity to try my luck at a second go with derby tryouts. 

The tryout process included skating to see some skills, a test of speed and endurance with a race against time to see if you could complete 25 laps in 5 minutes, and some basic pack skating to see how you do skating in tight quarters with other skaters.  By the end of the night I was exhausted but felt pretty good.  When I got the call back I was excited that I would have one more chance to see if I could make a team.  This time around the skating was a little more intense with some partner work, some light hiring and blocking to see how you are on your feet and then the part I feared the most.... the interview.  Speaking and interviews have never been my strong suite so I just hoped for the best, but the ladies were so awesome that It felt less like an interview and more like a private chat of to get to know each other.  Then the wait began. 

There was about a week before we were given the word as to whether or not we'd made the cut and the wait was excruciating!  I recall being at work after tryouts and where friends and coworkers would stop by to ask if I'd heard anything yet, and feeling more nervous with each question.  Not even a pile of movies or video games were enough to distract me as I nervously awaited that call.  A week later the call finally came and I was officially placed in the freshmeat class of 2012.  With 3 months of training and "probation" ahead of me I just wanted to get out one the track, skate as much and as hard as I possibly could so I could lock in a place on their B-Team, the Rock-a-Betty Bruisers.

Being a part of the Long Island Roller Rebels freshmeat class was a learning experience all of its own.  I have never been around this many women at one time prior to joining the league so that was something I had to get used to very quickly.  The veteran skaters were very welcoming and the coaching staff made the experience (although hell at times) awesome and very much worth the pain and bruises.  The other ladies in the freshmeat class were also a lot of fun and it seemed like we were all making friends through the process and helped each other when things were getting tough.  I personally would not change anything from the experience (not even the helmet sized welt I received at one point during a practice).  

Roller Derby is not just a sport it is a lifestyle.  If you decide you want to join a league it will truly change your life for the better.  Granted friends and family will most likely think you're nuts and not want you to do it for safety or other reasons but it is something that has greatly benefited me.  Granted I no longer have that much free time since I work a full time job during the day and have practice 2-3 nights per week with a weekend game or scrimmage about every other weekend, but it sure as hell beats sitting at home doing nothing and the workout is UNBELIEVABLE!  I feel bad at times when I have to bail on my boyfriend or friends because of a derby obligation but in all honesty it is well worth it.  I do get teased for being crazy enough to actually want to be a roller girl, and am constantly hearing "be careful, please don't get hurt!" when I grab my skates and head for the door, but the support I have from friends and family is overwhelming and the new family I have gained makes the long hrs and occasional pain all worth it.  I love being a roller girl and would recommend that any female, or male (yes there is a men's derby association out there as well), who loves to skate to look into the sport.  It is a growing sport and being a part of it will change your life.

To me being a roller girl is empowering.  We are women (and men) from all walks of life coming together in a sport that showcases true athleticism with a unique character.  Yes it may get violent at times (not due to fighting but because derby is a full contact sport) and yes the names may not always be family friendly, but the sport and people who work tirelessly to keep their leagues going are worth getting to know.   

So if you are in the Long Island area come check us out on September 1 when the LIRR host the 2012 Empire Skate Showdown which will include a full day of derby with leagues from all over New York State.  If you can't make it on Sept 1 we will have our last home game of the regular season on October 13.

Sincerely -- 

Angry Penguin 

Introducing #19 Angry Penguin

Two years ago I attended a movie screening and saw a group of ladies sporting team jackets for the Gotham Girls Roller Derby league and had no idea how much that night would change my life.  At the time I was looking for something to do in the city and was having no luck. Truth was I had not seen Whip It and didn't even know roller derby was still around, so the discovery of a new sport immediately sparked a long night of google research into the world of roller derby.  Within a few weeks I had attended the GGRD season opener and was hooked.  There was no turning back for me.  I HAD to become a roller girl.  It took me two tryout seasons to find and home and my new identity, and today I am known as Angry Penguin. 

I skate for the Long Island Roller Rebels as a Rookie for the All Stars. We are about halfway through our 2012 season and as a rookie I have had move amazing adventures than I can recall and wanted a way to share the good times as well as the bruised times, so this will be my cyber confessional to share with the anyone interested in following Angry Penguin.  If you are a fan of derby or have questions about the sport feel free to leave comments. 

I must sign off from my first post but promise to catch you up with tales from the Roller Rebels season so far and hope to have more pictures and possibly some video clips up soon.  Until then check out our sight and if you are in the Long Island area on Saturday June 9 come check out our Summer Smackdown home bout (aka game).  You can buy tickets at BrownPaperTickets for $10 or at the door for $15.

-- Angry Penguin #19