25. get addicted to a new television show

Okay so I'm kind of addicted to television and film. It's no secret, I love a good television show that gets you completely immersed for 30 minutes or an hour in their world. And with so many new television shows coming about the past few years I have yet to find a new addiction. So far there's House & How I Met Your Mother, NCIS (not LA), Criminal Minds & SVU, Bones & The Office. Then of course there's cable shows that I'm not going to get into. But to find a new show to get involved with exciting and this fall I've started watching a few new shows.

I gave Accidentally on Purpose a shot but it's not worthy and I'll be surprised if it makes it past the few season. It might not even make it back after November sweeps. Then there was Trauma which after just their 1st episode has me curious so I think I'll give it a few more weeks. NCIS-LA is a complete waste of Chris O'Donnell's talent and doesn't have the same flair, wit, and appeal as the real NCIS. And the Good Wife is a worthy effort at a new lawyer show with a personal twist but I feel it will get old after a few weeks.

I have yet to watch ABC's Wednesday night comedy schedule which I have high hopes for with an all star line up of Kelsey Grammar, Patricia Heaton, and Courtney Cox. But Glee has caught my attention. It's written well enough and has enough humor to make me subscribe on Hulu.com. And of course Thursday night with some of my favorite like Bones, The Office, CSI, Grey's Anatomy there's just too much to choose from. Community I don't find funny at all and am hoping it gets cut soon with the same axe that's being reserved for Parks and Recreation.

But the biggest surprise and the one show that has caught my attention and will forever hold a spot on my DVR list is FlashForward! Who doesn't love Joseph Fiennes and of coarse something involving the FBI, global disaster, and suspense. We know what the future is but can they prevent some of it from happening. The cast is amazing with John Cho, Joseph Fiennes, Courtney B. Vance, Christine Woods, Alex Kingston, Seth MacFarlane, and coming up Gabrielle Union this (hopefully) can't miss and will turn into something great. At least until April 29 2010 when we find out if their visions come true! Love the show so far and can't wait to see what happens next.

1. learn something new

Tomorrow is the official opening of the Andy Warhol: the Last Decade exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum and in the spirit of Warhol (and Milwaukee's Race for a Cure on Sunday) the Museum is lit up in pink for the next week.

And now that I am a docent at the Museum I had the opportunity to learn something new! Thursday morning the curator for this exhibit came to talk to us about Warhol's last decade. Warhol is someone I've always admired and loved but never knew too much about and so this was such an amazing experience. I highly recommend this exhibit (it's traveling to Brooklyn, Forth Worth, and Baltimore after Milwaukee). The last decade of Warhol's life was so complex and he produced more work in the last decade than most artists in their entire lifetime.

In addition to the exhibit the Milwaukee Art Museum created an addendum which housed Warhol's earlier works from the 60's.

So I think it's safe to say that yesterday I learned something new and that being a docent at the Museum will produce many more months of learning. Number 1: check!

50 ways to enjoy autumn

I've compiled my list for autumn:

1. in the spirit of going back to school, I'm going to learn something

2. close my eyes and breathe in the fall air in the morning

3. always carry tissues- because it's that season

4. Sunday = baking day

5. go to the farmer's market before they are gone for the season

6. watch purple violets and wish I was Selma Blair

7. exercise everyday

8. continue to learn the guitar

9. buy a bike

10. attend many concerts

11. make an apple pie from scratch

12. also make pecan pie, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie & cherry pie

13. make soups!

14. have afternoon tea

15. look for an internship

16. actually learn a new language

17. buy/wear/love tights, scarves, hats & boots

18. go to the movies

19. go bowling

20. fly a kite

21. make/drink cider, hot milled cider

22. watch scary movies on halloween

23. put candy corn on my teeth like a vampire

24. listen to more music- new & old

25. get addicted to a new television show

26. apply to grad schools

27. cure my fear of commitment... on anything

28. watch the sun rise and set on the same day

29. buy/chew clove gum

30. read while completely enveloped in blankets

31. go to the Little Farmer or Apple Holler

32. pick apples and/or pumpkins

33. eat more fresh foods

34. attend BK's wedding

35. take photographs of autumn- because for 4 years I never really experienced fall and last year I never truly appreciated it

36. go out and be a doer

37. enjoy the outdoors before winter comes

38. travel to Washington D.C. and experience that feeling of being "home"

39. bundle up and open the windows at night to experience a crisp fall morning in bed

40. finish sorting family genealogy

41. journal/sketch more

42. learn a new hobby

43. make more lists

44. purge things I don't need

45. loose weight

46. buy new office supplies

47. frame photos of mine

48. re-imagine my life and set life goals

49. get out of neutral

50. let go and let flow

dancing in september

I am absolutely stoked about fall!!! There's so much possibility in the air that is turning a dreary forecast into bright sunny days and changing leaves of hope. Yeah okay, I know that sounds lame but I couldn't be more excited about what's to come in the next few months.

First off, I had my interview this morning and I'm going to be a docent for the Milwaukee Art Museum. I have to take classes and attend lectures but I'm just excited to be doing something. Other things going on this fall? I get to travel to Atlanta for a wedding and see friends I haven't seen in over a year. And then travel to D.C. and visit Catholic U and see if I want to apply to their graduate program. I've always wanted to go back to D.C. and this seems like the perfect opportunity.

So while I'm excited about all the new exciting adventures I will be diving into I also have to remember to stay grounded and not get my hopes up. Oh and still make a list of things to do for the next 3 months. It's going to be awesome!

and so it ends....

Today was the last day of August and tomorrow marks the unofficial begin of fall. And while the weather here in Wisconsin makes it feel like fall, I am not ready to begin this cycle again. Over the past few days I have had some things on my mind that have started me thinking that this whole unemployment/no school/limbo world I'm living is soon to end. Come morning I will be getting up early and getting ready to go to an interview. And while it isn't an interview for a job in a firm it is something that will keep me busy. I'll be interviewing for a docent position at the art museum and I couldn't be more excited.

Along with this I've decided to ask firms if they are willing to give me an unpaid internship. It's not a paying gig like I would like but I desperately need experience; even if it's an internship and even if it's unpaid. And while I do all of this I've realized that fall can hold some amazing possibilities for me.

So while the summer has ended, I have high hopes for this coming fall and when tomorrow comes I will post a new list of things to do in fall. And now it's time to do my final check of my summer list and see what I have accomplished.

✓1. enjoy a good rain storm

✓2. watch the sun rise and set on the same day

✓ 3. peruse vintage & independent shops

4. go to the farmers market saturday mornings

✓5. blow bubbles off my balcony

✓ 6. take more photos

✓7. contemplate life under the stars; actually I contemplated life under a meteor shower!

8. find an abandoned country road, get out of the car and dance

✓ 9. exercise everyday

✓ 10. read

✓ 11. watch more films

✓ 12. stay up late with friends

✓ 13. buy and wear more dresses

14. more drive-in movies @ Miller Park

✓ 15. learn to play the guitar

16. make my "apartment" my "home"---- I'm getting really really close!

✓ 17. write letters to friends

18. get a job----- an interview tomorrow.

✓ 19. wear bright lipstick

20. buy a cute vintage bike with a wicker basket

✓ 21. observe people at Alterra

✓22. get a summer glow, partially.

23. learn to play the cello

✓24. girl's night---- unofficially, I've spent a lot of time with my girls

✓25. sleepovers

26. jazz in the park---- to accomplish in september

✓27. pitchfork music festival... scratch that now it's Lollapalooza

✓ 28. summerfest

✓29. state fair

✓30. use my polaroids

✓31. visit the new modern wing of the chicago art museum

32. visit northern wisconsin and see the goats on the roof

33. go bowling

34. fly a kite

✓35. work on my thesis idea

✓ 36. enjoy my birthday

✓37. study anthropology

✓38. make an apple pie from scratch---- made a hell of a lot of cookies for friends

39. do more diy projects

✓ 40. enjoy a new piece of art every wednesday at the milwaukee art museum

✓ 41. green my thumb

✓ 42. reduce my footprint

43. find my groove

44. do something good

✓ 45. eat more fresh foods

46. make sun tea

47. go sailing

✓48. drink coffee and read the paper on the balcony in the early morning---- I read the paper on the balcony with afternoon tea

49. learn to speak a new language

✓ 50. day dream

I've done 34 of the 50 listed. I wish I could have done more but there's only so many days in the summer and I've done so much more than what's on this list that I feel I have taken advantage of perhaps my last summer without a care in the world.