The Next 101 in 1001

So, earlier this week we examined my inability to do simple math calculations like figuring out the end date for 1001 days. Today, I start the next chapter and get to work on my next 101 in 101. This list will be permanently hosted by the 101 in 1001 tab but I wanted to share it here first. Give it a read - what do you think?

Start date: January 30, 2014
End date: October 26, 2016

Healthy Living
Complete 30-day shred
Workout 3x/week for 3 months
Workout 3x/week for 6 months
Run 10 - 5Ks

Ten more 10Ks - no problem, right?

Run 3 - half marathons (yes, you read that correctly)
Go to the damn dentist
Get Lasik surgery
Give up soda for a month

Spiritual Growth/Paying it Forward and Marriage (because, clearly, these go hand-in-hand)
Tithe 10% of every paycheck for 6 months
Read the Bible from front to back (Old and New Testament) - Sharita showed me this great guide
Attend church regularly for a year (2x per month is regular for us since we're gone so much)
Pray out loud
Pray for strangers
Give until it hurts
Give a homeless person all the cash in my pocket (*note to self: start carrying cash)
Pay for next person's meal
Donate hair to Locks of Love
Read a marriage strengthening book with the Ninja
Finish our engagement, wedding and honeymoon scrapbook
Volunteer in my community 5 times
Donate to the foodbank

Learning New Skills and Trying New Things
Learn the basic of fitting a steer
Learn to change the oil in my truck
Take piano lessons
Teach myself one nice hair up-do for weddings and special occasions
Try 5 new foods
Take an online history course

Nurturing Relationships
Visit 5 [more] friends who don't live in Kansas
Engage in 3 father/daughter activities
Plan 3 mother/daughter things
Attend 5 more of little sister's events
Go out on 10 girl's nights
Go to a concert with little brother
Plan a tailgate
Host a dinner party
Write 20 thank you notes (handwritten)
Friendship photoshoot - rock the dress, KSU pride
Send Christmas cards at least one year

Domestication and DYI
Try one new recipe per week for 8 weeks
Complete two separate full-day sessions of cooking to fill the freezer
Make a perfect omelet (not a scromlet)
Make homemade bread without a bread maker
Learn basic sewing machine skills
Make a set of curtains using the sewing machine
Make some decorative pillows
Refurbish a dresser (or two)
Learn to make Grandma Buzzard's divinity candy, chicken n' noodles and other select recipes
Make and freeze/store my own salsa and red sauce
Plant a garden every year (if location permits)
Create a really cool DYI/craft project from scratch
Make/create 3 Christmas/birthday gifts
Make a cheesecake and an angel food cake from scratch

Financial Improvement
Save 10% of every paycheck for 6 months
Triple the amount of $$ in my 401(k)
Have zero credit card debt
Cut my student loan debt in 1/2
Take the Dave Ramsey finance course with the Ninja
Create a family budget and stick to it - evaluate and adjust after 3 months
Once every six months (for entirety of the 1001 days), complete a no-shopping month

Organized and Decorated Home
Frame and hang B.S. and M.S. degrees (as soon as my M.S. diploma arrives...)
The next time we move, organize and purge unneeded items
Organize and clean office so that it's functional for two people
Buy and hang wedding photos and select Kansas photography for the walls
Hang either a photo collage or cross collage on one of the walls

Adventures
Go whitewater rafting
Go rock climbing, hiking etc
Travel internationally
Go camping
Visit 5 states I've never been to before
Take a yearly family vacation
Meet someone famous
Go to an amusement park
Go pheasant hunting

Motivatated Thinking, Career and Writing/Blogging/Social Media
Write six chapters for my book
Have an article or blog post picked up by Huffington Post or similar outlet
Get a RT from someone famous - Peta doesn't count (been there, done that)
Make a 'Recipes' section on the blog and post 50 recipes
Blog at least once per week for an entire year
Fill a journal

Thanks for the nifty journal, Target. Oh, and of course what's a journal without a purple K-State pen?

Meet 5 social media friends IRL
Get 1,000 likes on Buzzard's Beat Facebook page
Speak on behalf of agriculture 3x
Get Twitter verified

I want that little checkmark

Stuff Just For Me
Read one book per month - revise and update book list to reflect what I've read
Add 10 more books to our library (an actual printed copy)
Buy myself a designer handbag
Create a coffee-table book out of my travel photos
Go to another K-State football bowl game
Check off some more concerts on my old soul music bucket list
Attend the KSU basketball game when they retire Jacob Pullen's jersey
Write myself a letter to open in 5 years
Go vegetarian for two weeks - blog about the exhaustion
Buy a barrel saddle
Finish Friday on the barrels - exhibition and enter at a rodeo

Friday, the soon-to-be barrel horse

Start another young horse on barrels
Get inked
Buy a new [to me] Chevy
Eat mind-blowing steak at 3 premier steakhouses
Beat the Ninja at Scrabble 3 times (this will be a miracle)
Go to an away KSU or Chiefs football game, or away KSU b-ball game or away KSU baseball game
Make a new list when this one expires

 

Do we have any common goals? Am I crazy?

 

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Wordless Wednesday: A New Love

I'm pretty much obsessed with this little girl...



Oh ya know, just chillin' and being adorable



I wouldn't come when called so I got left outside with the beast (aka Rooster)

 



Trying to decide whether or not to attack a piece of mud on the floor

 

 



What's going on here?!



I am not a fan of the sheep barn....yet

 

It's quite cold outside, can't I just pee on the floor instead of going outside?

 

Don't fret - I still love Rooster the rodeo dog with all my heart. He's my big fluffy, red dog. Kind of like Clifford but probably eats a lot less.

 



His normal sleeping position

 

Smile!



This is what happens when you try to get a close face shot of an attention-loving dog.



What a sweet, sweet boy

Does anyone else treat their dogs like children?!?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

The End of 101 in 1001

I usually am very organized and pride myself on having a fantastic memory, which is why I was really surprised when I checked my 101 in 1001 list and realized that I had run out of time. Crap. This is like a replay of this day.

So anyway, here are my 101 goals in 1001 - I've highlighted in purple the ones that were completed in time and the ones in green were in progress. There are comments on some that were in progress for your entertainment.

Start date: April 11, 2011
End date: January 6, 2014 (although I fudged it to the end of January so it's more like 1022 days)

Healthy Living
1. Run/workout 3x a week for 1 month
2. Run/workout 3x a week for 2 months
3. Run/workout 3x a week for 3 months
4. Run 5- 5K’s for Beef or Breast Cancer - I ran three and am already registered for the fourth.
5. Go to bed before midnight every weeknight for two weeks
6. Drink 64 oz of water every day for one month

Marriage
7. Have a date night with Hyatt each week for two months
8. Scrapbook our engagement, wedding and honeymoon
9. Celebrate one of life's little achievements once/month for 12 months
10. Complete name change on social media sites, social security card, financial accounts, passport, driver's license etc – this SUCKED: read moreabout that process here.
11. Celebrate our 1 and 2 year wedding anniversaries in a unique way
12. Watch 5 movies that Hyatt loves that don't interest me - (Apocalypse Now, Papillon, X-Men, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Anchorman 2)
13. Have Hyatt write a letter to me to open in 5 years
14. Write a letter to Hyatt to open in 5 years
15. Make a list of 101 reasons I love Hyatt
16. Pick out two dogs for the FroBuzz home upon returning from Australia

Aren't they adorable? By now I'm sure you've seen lots of media about Rooster the rodeo dog and Cricket, shy but feisty border collie. (@brandibuzzard on Instagram)

Goals That Might Pain Me To Complete
17. Do a vegetarian challenge for one week
18. Watch Food Inc. - infuriating

19. Watch An Inconvenient Truth

20. Eat a salad - a vegetable one: this too, sucked. Here’s a picture to prove it

21. Wear heels every day for 1 week
22. Replaced with the last goal in "Keeping in Touch" - 102. Have mother/daughter weekend @ lake
23. Don’t chew on fingernails for 1 whole month - May -- July 2011
24. Refrain from purchasing any item of clothing, accessory or footwear for 1 month
25. Eat 5 exotic/uncommon foods  - (Thai seafood 4/12/2011, Tofu Steak 5/2011, Kangaroo 6/2011, Crocodile 7/2011, Octopus 7/2011)

Keeping in Touch
26. Coordinate a tailgate for one of the following teams: KSU, KC Royals, Ohio State Buckeyes or the KC Chiefs - ended up doing this for KSU homecoming in 2012 and also in 2012 for KC Royals game.

Some great gals at a great game - that lady on the bottom right is getting married this weekend. Wahoo!

27. Call /visit my grandparents once/month for 12 months
28. Organize and go on a mother/daughter day with Diana & Madie
29. Attend 6 of Kristy’s sporting events/school events/4-H stuff - (Bourbon Co. hog show, Bourbon Co. beef show, biddy ball game, Allen County steer and hog show, KJLS)

Can't believe she's all grown up and showing cattle! Seems like just yesterday I was watching her learn to walk *Sniffle*
(@brandibuzzard on Instagram)

30. Visit 5 friends who have moved away – Sharita, Washington; Becca, North Dakota; Mandy, Iowa; Jessie, Texas; Kelly, Minnesota.

This is the famous Seattle gum wall - people keep saying 'gross!'
 Yes, it is gross but it's not like we were licking it or anything!
(@brandibuzzard on Instagram)

31. Visit Brice in A-town
32. Go fishing with my dad
102. Have a mother/daughter weekend at the lake

Professional Development
33. Defend my thesis by May 2012 – I defended in June of 2012. Dammit.
34. Publish an agriculture article in HPJ, KLA or publication/newspaper of similar demographic - May 2011 (Grass and Grain, Farm Talk)
35. Promote agriculture at community meeting or conference 3x
36. Develop a personal mission statement
37. Join learnersdictionary.com Word of the Day to broaden my vocabulary - June 2011
38. Consolidate/forward all email accounts down to 2
39. Post 3x/week for 1 month on Buzzard’s Beat - April and May 2011

Financial Conquistador-ism
40. Save $5 for each item on this list completed
41. Save 10% of every paycheck for 6 months
42. Learn to do my own taxes
43. Take Dave Ramsey finance course with Hyatt
44. Balance checkbook every month for 12 months
45. Create a family budget w/ Hyatt and stick to it for 3 months
46. Discover my credit score 47. Track Hyatt and I's spending for 3 months; evaluate and make changes
48. Complete a no-spend month
49. Pay off my small credit cards - Maurices, Victoria's Secret

Because I Want To
50. Purchase a new truck
51. Muster the courage to play blackjack in a casino - preferably win
52. Fly first class (even if it's only from KC to Dallas)
53. Go rock climbing
54. Acquire new square toed boots (preferably exotics)

Love these beauties that the Ninja gifted me with for my birthday last year!
(@brandibuzzard on Instagram)

55. Face 3 fears - (claustrophobia 7/2011, heights 8/2011, [third fear is a secret but was conquered in 2012)
56. NOT have a baby before I'm 2757. Scuba dive somewhere exotic - Great Barrier Reef 7/2011
58. Create a wardrobe I love. (This is defined as a closet full of clothes I am equally happy to wear)
59. Find the perfect cocktail dress - color insignificant – (but it’s purple, fyi)
60. Become a lifetime member of the K-State Alumni Association

Becoming Cultured, Crafty, Organized and Design-y
61. Print off and organize all photos
62. Organize Buzzard family photos
63. Compose/make/compile Buzzard family tree
64. Design and print my own custom thank you notes
65. Frame and hang my Bachelor's and (eventually) Master's degrees – this would be a lot easier to complete if KSU would send me my damn diploma.
66. Design and print our Christmas cards for 2011
67. Make a coffee table book out of my travel photography
68. Purge and donate old clothes from closets at least three times
69. Watch the sunrise and sunset in the SAME DAY - Lamington National Park - 6/2011
70. Attend an opera, symphony or musical - Love Never Dies 9/2011

Learning New Things
71. Learn to play piano
72. Learn how to make Grandma’s fried chicken, chicken n’ noodles and divinity candy
73. Learn how to fit a steer
74. Learn to drive the boat – I’ve driven the boat but still need more work.
75. Learn to change the oil in my truck
76. Learn to shoot a compound bow

Personal Development and Paying It Forward
77. Volunteer once/month at a breadbasket, food pantry or other comm. service 6 times – got this done 3 times
78. Spend under $10 on a meal & give a $10 tip
79. Donate 25,000 grains of free rice through Freerice.com (7270)
80. Write a letter to myself to open in 5 years
81. Donate hair to Locks of Love (again)
82. Start/keep journal for 12 months (1/12) – this is moving to my next list.
83. Earn someone's respect
84. Forgive someone (but never forget)
85. Say 'I love you' EVERY day for entirety of 1001 days
86. Read one book of the Bible every month for 12 months
87. Memorize a verse from the Bible every week for ten weeks
88. Attend church once/month for 12 months (3/12)
89. Tithe 10% of every paycheck for 6 months
90. Read the books from this list – fail. I only got about five read but am reworking the list and adding to next list.

Miscellaneous/Fun Stuff
91. Cook dinner every night for a week straight (M-F). Every night must be a new recipe.
92. Go see a sporting event that I've never watched before - Easter 2011, Footy game
93. Make a cheesecake and pumpkin pie....from scratch
94. Send a secret (or 2) into Post Secret
95. Attend the K-State basketball game where they retire Jacob Pullen's jersey – this was hard to do since they haven’t retired it yet but we have season tickets so I’m on the right track.
96. Drastically change my hair
97. Watch a movie based on a Nicholas Sparks book and DON'T fight back tears
98. Post every day for 1 month on From Oz to Aus
99. Play golf 3x in the 1001 days
100. Bake and decorate a birthday cake for a loved one or friend
101. Start a new 101 in 1001 when this one is complete

So, to summarize I completed 51 goals, while another 10 are in progress and if I had until April (like I had originally thought) I would have completed another seven goals. Now that I have done this I know how to write better goals for the list (which is completed and will be posted later this week). For example - #91 Cook dinner every night for a week straight using a new recipe is pretty unlikely since the Ninja is never home for a week straight so a better goal for the next list is Make a new recipe every week for six weeks.

That's just one example of improving my goals, there are many more.

Has anyone else made a 101 in 1001? I'd love to see them and would certainly link to it!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Six Spectacular Reasons to Ignore All Those Stupid “Six Reasons He’s the One for You!” Articles

Three years in the book and I didn't need a Yahoo! article to tell me he was the one

This strays from my regular content, so I apologize to my consistent readers (all five of you). Since our anniversary was yesterday, I've been thinking and praying a lot about marriage and I really can’t keep this in anymore. I don’t know if it’s just my Facebook feed or if it’s a social media pandemic but it seems that a new “Six Reasons He’s the One”-type article pops every day. I take issue with this.

Basing your definition of a successful relationship off a Buzzfeed article may be entertaining but ask the 50% of married couples who end up divorced how entertaining it was that their match enjoyed "telling each other things you've never told anyone else.” Yeah, I bet he really enjoyed hearing about your defaulted loans, that pregnancy scare with an old boyfriend and how you chew up your cat’s food before each feeding. You just gave him the ammo to embarrass you on a whole new level.

So below I break down and provide some truth, in my opinon, to a few ridiculous reasons you should permanently hitch your wagon to someone else for eternity (folks, marriage is for life).

• You laugh together: Seriously – do I need to explain why this isn’t an indicator of your soul mate? People who I’ve laughed with: my beef science professor, my doctor, my mailman – my point? Laughing with someone doesn’t mean they automatically become marriage material – your soul mate might be somber while you’re hysterical. Think, people.
• You’re extremely attracted to him/her: Please see above. Don’t let attraction overshadow compatibility. When you’re both 75, wrinkly and saggy, you’ll be thankful for a smart, intelligent partner that you can converse with daily.
• You respect him/her: Shouldn’t you respect pretty much everyone? If so, that doesn’t really set your potential life-partner apart from everyone else.
• You can imagine a future together: This is one is way too often overused as a reason to marry someone. I imagined a future with a few fellas before I met the Ninja and thank God imaginary is as far as it ever got. They were good guys but building a life is different than imagining one.
• Your intuition tells you he’s the right one: Did your intuition tell you that getting a rainbow unicorn tattoo on your neck was a good idea, too? Sometimes our intuition is off - stick to concrete evidence.
• You don’t have to try to impress him/her – You may love sitting on the couch eating Chinese and watching NCIS, but maybe he is only sitting next to you to please you. Will he suffer through that for 50+ years to keep you happy? Or is it more likely that he'll eventually quit because honestly, there are better things to watch and eat than NCIS and Chinese takeout?

I could go on but I think I’ve made my point. Every marriage and relationship is different, so expecting some article to define perfection (or the illusion of perfection) is asinine. Ready for some real advice?

• Pray, pray, pray – God has a plan for you and hopefully you’re listening to Him.
• Use your head – I feel like this should be common sense but apparently that isn’t too common.
• Don’t rush into marriage – maybe getting engaged after 6 weeks isn’t such a good idea.
• Pay heed to red flags – does he refuse to clean up after himself? Does that infuriate you to the point of a screaming match? Guess what honey, he’s not going to change those habits. If you don’t like picking up paper plates now, you’re really going to hate it in 40 years. From personal experience: I’m still trying to get the Ninja to stop putting dishes on the counter instead of in the sink (because the sink is clearly where you put dirty dishes) and I’ve made no headway in five+ years. It’s not infuriating but it’s annoying and it likely won’t have changed 47 years from now.
• Pray some more - seriously.

Some of those articles have decent advice but the vast majority (that I’ve seen) trigger an eye roll. I’m not a relationship expert but I don’t think you have to be in order to make your own relationship decisions without the use of a Redbook quiz or a Yahoo! shine article.

Really want to know if someone is right for you and your marriage will last? Well, so does everyone else. There’s no 100% guarantee that it will work out. Marriage is a risk but if you commit to it completely and put your whole heart and soul into your marriage and keep your faith in the middle, it will be one of the most rewarding journeys you ever partake in, although it’s also one of the most difficult.

Yes, you read that right. Marriage is hard, in addition to being risky. Sure, the wedding planning and the big day are fantastic and the honeymoon will provide you a lifetime of amazing memories but when you get home that “what now” feeling will wash over you. The first year you live with someone is MISERY (in the words of my good friend, Kylee). Weekends can make or break you! In college, when you had roomies, there was always something going on but now you’re married. What are you going to do when you have no weekend plans? Are you going to complain and whine about it and let boredom breed contempt for your partner? Or are you going to go outside and unload hay, play with the dogs, ride the horses, fix the fence etc etc. Really want to bond with your partner? Clean a bathroom together after the pipes have frozen and waste water has backed up into the tub. Team work makes the dream work, people.

My point is, when you’ve got no big event to plan and it’s just you and him and your daily activities and conversations, you discover amazing things about each other and grow deeper and deeper in love. Brad Paisley sums it up very well.

What do you think? Am I off-base? Does anyone agree with me? Comment below – shout out!

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

p.s. And on a semi-related note – I can’t even address some of the stupid that is flowing from this article. DON’T GET MARRIED BECAUSE TWO PAYCHECKS ARE BETTER THAN ONE.

Wordless Wednesday: A Buzzard and a Ninja - Our Third Anniversary

No mush this year - just two photos that describe our relationship perfectly. 

He shoved cake all over my neck and face right before this was taken

Everything that has made our marriage tough has also made our marriage tougher to break. Bring it on, world.

Congress Cuts Horse Slaughter Funding... Again

Friday is #notimpressed with Congress' poor decision

Just when I was starting to think that we might actually see horse slaughter in full-swing in the U.S., a process with many benefits, Congress actually works together to pass a bill. Go figure.

Yesterday, Congress passed a spending measure which contains wording to eliminate funding for horse slaughter inspection. As you may remember from recent posts, if there is no inspection from USDA, slaughter and meat processing cannot take place. The final step is for Obama to sign his name and it's official.

This is frustrating on so many levels - a process that is safe, humane and benefits our economy is being restricted, again, after being delayed for 2+ years. I'm not a political expert but the only way around this one, I believe, is for individual states to fund inspections. I would welcome hard facts on that topic. Readers who are lawyers, please chime in. Updated: Please refer to the first comment on this post from 'Tuck' who is a third-year law student. He's been very helpful!

So for the time being, there will be no horse slaughter in the United States which is a crying shame considering the meat can be used for zoo animals and exported to other countries (just because we don't eat it, doesn't mean other countries don't consider it a delicacy), the plants provide local job creation and thousands of neglected horses could be humanely euthanized.

I guess I should be thankful that Congress actually agreed on something, for once.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

The thoughts and opinions of this blog post strictly represent that of Brandi Buzzard Frobose and are NOT representative of any other entity or organization.

A Party in Your Mouth - Deck of Cards Beans and Rice in the Crockpot

As you can probably, tell I love my crockpot. From November-March, it's my favorite kitchen appliance - it even beats out the frying pan and microwave! Last week, I showed you my delicious Dr. Pepper beef roast, so this week we're doing Deck of Cards Beans and Rice! I got my inspiration from Janice Person's recipe, but added a few more things.

Again, this is a really simple recipe, I don't measure things often and it's delicious.

Deck of Cards Beans and Rice

• 2 cans black beans
• 2 cans red beans (not kidney beans)
• Worcestershire sauce
• A1 steak sauce
• Heinz 57 steak sauce
• 1-2 lbs of smoked sausage
• Lawry's seasoned salt (or similar, I used Red Robin french fry seasoning)
• Rice - cooked separately

The tools for your dinner masterpiece

Put the three sauces in the bottom of crockpot first - Janice's recipe called for about 1 tbsp of each but I probably doubled that - I like it saucyyyy.

 

Sauce it up!

 Drain one can each of black and red beans (get it? black and red, deck of cards??) and put in crockpot.

Black and red - lots of yummy carbs!

 Slice up sausage into pieces (maybe 1/2" thick?) and layer on beans. At this point I put some more sauces on it and sprinkled the Red Robin seasoning over it - then repeat with beans and sausage layering. 

Look at all that delicious sausage - the more the better!

Cook on low for 2-3 hours or if you're in a big hurry, stick it on high until thoroughly cooked. Prepare rice as directed and serve up on the side.


The finished product - very delicious and very filling!

Warning - this recipe makes enough for probably 5-6 people. The Ninja and I each had a hefty portion for dinner and there was plenty for lunch and dinner the next day. If you're cooking for just two, cut it down to one can of each kind of beans (but don't cut back sausage - don't cut back on the meat!).

If you like salt more than sweet - use more Worcestershire sauce than the other two sauces.

Hope you all enjoy my recipes - I'd love to hear your feedback!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Wordless Wednesday: Round Bales = Happy Horses

The three musketeers are happy to have a new round bale of brome hay to munch on.

HumaneWatch is the Cat's Meow - HSUS WTF, part 2

Several months ago I posted about the marvelous ad campaign that HumaneWatch had developed to inform society about the misperception of HSUS.  Today, I'm thrilled to see those same ads take up residence in New York's Time Square.

HumaneWatch ad in New York's Times Square
Photo credit HumaneWatch

That's right - the billboard above is smack dab in the middle of one of the busiest metro areas in the United States. No doubt about it - you can count this one as a win for animal agriculture.

For more details, read the AgWired story and as always, I urge you to check out HumaneWatch.org -you won't be disappointed!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

The thoughts and opinions of this blog post strictly represent that of Brandi Buzzard Frobose and are NOT representative of any other entity or organization.