40 for 40

Sally (weeping): And I'm gonna be *forty*!! Harry: When?
Sally: Someday...


Well friends, it's finally here. And I gotta tell you, so far it's rockin'.

I know I've been a little list-crazy as of late, but here's the last one for awhile. I promise.

40 things I want to do/complete/achieve this year (in no particular order):

1. Hit #1 on the Kindle best-seller list. (What's fabulous about this is that I started compiling this list last week, having no idea that I'd come so close today -- I'm at #11!!)

2. Buy a Volkswagon Beetle. Red.

3. Meet my friends from a certain discussion forum in person. (Just because we haven't met in person yet doesn't mean they're not "real" friends.)

4. Finish WILS.

5. Attend a writer's conference.

6. Start a Reiki practice.

7. Resume playing my guitar, and get better at it. (Lessons would be nice)

8. Sell more print copies, and get into more bookstores.

9. Sell movie rights to Faking It and Ordinary World.

10. Buy a new bed. (Seriously, I haven't had a new mattress in a friggin' long time, and my headboard is just plain bad feng shui.)

11. Meet Nora Ephron for lunch.

12. Meet Aaron Sorkin for dinner.

13. Meet Duran Duran for the helluvit.

14. Start painting again (pictures, not walls).

15. Take a trip w/ my best friend since birth. (Not my twin brother, my other best friend, although I've known her almost as long. Although he's invited too.)

16. Travel to at least 3 cities I've never been before.

17. Go on a chocolate-themed vacation.

18. Host a dinner party. (I was gonna say Thanksgiving dinner, but I don't know if I'll be ready for that this year!)

19. Spend less time on Facebook and more time writing. (Yeah, right. Good luck with that one...)

20. Write a pilot script for a TV series.

21. Pay off my credit card debt.

22. Attend the premiere of The Social Network.

23. Be invited to the premiere of The Social Network.

24. Attend a Major League Baseball game.

25. Do an interview with NPR.

26. Meet Richard Russo.

27. Color my hair (aka, get rid of the damn grey! It's the only thing I'm complaining about as far as age goes.)

28. Stop reading my reviews.

29. Take better care of my teeth.

30. Record a song.

31. Make audio versions of my novels.

32. Buy a bicycle and use it (and seriously, learn how to ride again!)

33. Find out my grandmother's golden cake with chocolate frosting recipe. (Although who am I kidding? It'll never come out as good as hers. Ever.)

34. Spend less time watching re-runs on TV. (I mean really, how many times can you watch Law&Order, any version?)

35. Reduce my courseload to part-time.

36. Get an agent and traditional publishing deal. (I've been waffling on this one. Certainly I've been doing ok on my own, and I've been critical of some agents' and others' attitudes toward self-publishing and indy-published authors. But the fact remains that there are advantages and opportunities available to authors with agents and traditional publishing deals. I think the real accomplishment for me would be knowing I *could* get one if I want, and I believe I can and will this year.)

37. Buy a turntable (You knew that one was comin', didn't you. The funny thing is that I don't even own an iPod yet. Or a Kindle, for that matter.)

38. Re-vamp my website. (Or, at least update it.)

39. Better manage my time and energy.

40. Celebrate our birthday with my siblings on Long Island.

And to my dear twin brother: Without you, my entire life would've been short on joy and long on loneliness. Happy Birthday.