Monday, January 1, 2024

101 Things to Do in 2023 - End of Year


Though I hadn't shared it yet, I knew going into this year that it would be my final few months in Tennessee, and that I needed to DO ALL THE THINGS! And by DO, what I really meant was EAT. So a lot of things on this list were Tennessee-specific and needed to be completed in the first 5 months of the year before I left.

This seemed totally doable. Until I started having chronic stomach issues in January that just so happened to last until May. Eating in general was difficult, so going out to eat was typically out of the question. Even going out to do things was tough because I always felt so cruddy. Which meant I didn’t get to a lot of my list! (But also means I have many things to do when I head down to visit). I ended up editing my list a little bit since I didn't plan on making it back down to Tennessee the remainder of the year. And my stomach issues have been resolved, so I can eat again!



1. Get a George Straight-style cowboy hat (I looked and looked but I cannot find what I am looking for! I found a few close ones, but I couldn't rationalize spending $300 on them).

2. Eat at the Minnesota State Fair 



3. Watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 

4. Get my Goodread’s TBR to under 100 books (If I hadn't added so many new books this year I would be under 70, so I'm saying that counts!)

5. Go on a cruise to the Bahamas 



6. Shop at Cran Fest



7. Sing my heart out at the Taylor Swift Era's Tour





















8. See John Mellencamp in concert at the Ryman

9. Get brunch at The Mailroom





















10. Go see Magic Mike's Last Dance in theaters

11. Watch all of the Avenger's movies in order
  • Iron Man (3/7)
  • Iron Man 2 (6/30)
  • Thor (7/3)
  • Captain America: The First Avenger (10/2)
  • Marvel's The First Avengers (10/3)
  • Iron Man 3 (10/6)
  • Thor: The Dark World (10/8)
  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier (11/3)
  • Guardians of the Galaxy (11/4)
  • Avengers: Age of Ultra (11/5)
  • Ant-Man (11/10)
  • Captain America: Civil War (11/12)
  • Doctor Strange (11/17)
  • Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (11/17)
  • Spider-Man: Homecoming (11/18)
  • Thor: Ragnarok (11/21)
  • Black Panther (11/24)
  • Avengers: Infinity War (11/24)
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp (11/26)
  • Captain Marvel (11/27)
  • Avengers: Endgame (11/29)
  • Spider-Man: Far From Home (12/2)
  • Black Widow (12/12)
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (12/15)
  • Eternals (12/16)
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home (12/22)
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (12/23)
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (12/23)
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (12/25)

12. See The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in theaters (November)















13. Continue (re-) reading one John Grisham book each month

14. Buy a new laptop

15. Go back to the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot





















16. Take a class working with clay
















17. Walk through the Tennessee State Museum

18. Get treats from Sweet Charlotte's

19. Read 120 books (154)

20. Read all the books in my 2023 TBR pile

21. Go to a Wild game

22. Eat my way through Toronto

23. Do a tasting at the Casey Jones Distillery

24. Do a tasting at Purple Toad Winery

25. See a show at the Roxy

26. Get a massage at the Wand and Willow Day Spa in Murfreesboro

27. Learn to make lefse





















28. Get a milkshake from The Grind

29. Get a treat from L & R Soda Shop in Elkton

30. Eat at Patti's 1880 Settlement

31. Go to a Minnesota Twins game

32. Take guitar lessons

33. Win something
  • No Child of Mine by Nichelle Giraldes
  • Sam and the Incredible African and American Food Fight  by Shannon Gibney
  • 2 Tickets to the Minnesota Renaissance Fair
  • A book of my choice from Home Sweet Homebody
  • Weather Any Storm by Vanessa Zuisel Goddard

34. Create something at a craft class





















35. Go skating at a roller rink
















36. Eat a meal at Casa D'Italia Ristorante

37. Paint at a Paint and Sip night





















38. Tasting at Leatherwood Distillery

39. Get a treat from Miss Ashley's Tearoom

40. Eat dinner at Moss's Southern Cooking

41. Do a tour at tasting at Old Glory Distilling

42. Get some popcorn from Poppin' in the City

43. Get an açaí bowl from Cafe 931





















44. Get dinner from The River Club and Grill

45. Try tacos from Sam's Gyros

46. Get a snack at The Sol Press




















47. Grab a bite at Strawberry Deli





















48. Sip on wine at The Vine on Franklin

49. Have a meal at Yada on Franklin

50. Eat chicken and waffles





















51. Watch Will Trent on Hulu

52. Apply for TSA Pre-Check

53. Complete the 10xTravel Course

54. Read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire illustrated edition

55. Read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix illustrated version

56. Make a list of all the episodes of Grey’s with a character named Gretchen

  • Season 2, Episode 20 - friend of patient
  • Season 3, Episode 6 - burned hand before bar exam
  • Season 4, Episode 4 - Gretchen Bitzer came in to have moles removed and was told she was dying because Norman done messed up
  • Season 7, Episode 3 - Gretchen the virgin inhaled a condom
  • Season 8, Episode 11 - mom of conjoined twins being separated in surgery, 
  • Season 8, Episode 18 - lady in Teddy’s widow support group
  • Season 12, Episode 18 - Gretchen McKay was cut open by Warren when the hospital was on a code pink 

57. Go snorkeling

























58. Try a new food (lobster)





















59. Finish my 2022 scrapbook

60. Try an exercise class I’ve never done before

61. Transfer my Etsy store over to a different platform

62. Go to a charcuterie making class

63. Read all the books saved in my TO READ list at the Montgomery County Public Library

64. Return everything to the library on time - no fines!

65. See 10 movies in theaters (11)
  • I Wanna Dance With Somebody
  • Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
  • Missing
  • M3gan
  • A Man Called Otto
  • 80 for Brady
  • Jesus Revolution
  • The Pope’s Exorcist
  • Are You There, God? Its Me, Margaret
  • The Eras Tour
  • The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
66. Get caught up on my Paper Pumpkin kits

67. Get tacos from a restaurant I haven't gotten tacos from yet

68. Eat somewhere new from Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives 
  • Cholo Soy Cocina (Palm Beach, FL)
  • The Porthole (Portland, ME)
  • Pizzaria Lola (Minneapolis, MN)
  • Becky's Diner (Portland, ME)
69. Go to a Vikings game

























70. Have a girl's day/night at Muddled Thyme

71. Get elote from Los Dos Amigos Grocery





















72. Do a tasting at Garvin Heights Vineyard

73. Participate in a book exchange





















74. Cook a new recipe

75. Donate to YAIPack

76. Have a grocery trip that ends up being completely free OR a money maker





















77. Use my credit cards points to go somewhere fun (Hilton Resort - West Palm Beach, FL) 

78. Tasting at Maker's Mark Distillery

79. Shop at Unclaimed Baggage

80. Hiking at Stillhouse Hollow Falls State Park

81. Hiking at David Crocket State Park

82. Put books in a Little Free Library

83. Tasting at Prichard's Distillery

84. Go to another cookie decorating class
















85. Sell cards at a craft fair

86. Watch all of Brain Games on Disney+

87. Try a new hot chicken place

88. Get my Minnesota Teaching License

89. Move back to Minnesota

90. Get a teaching job in Minnesota





















91. Attend Ashley for the Arts
















92. Look out from Clingman's Dome
















93. Walk across the Sky Bridge in Gatlinburg

























94. Eat at the Peach Cobbler Factory





















95. Eat at another Guy Fieri restaurant (Flavortown, Pigeon Forge, TN)





















96. Go indoor skydiving





















97. Eat a banana split

98. Meet an author (Christina Lauren)





















99. Finish reading the Jack Randall series

100. Go on a trip with Aaron (Portland, Maine)




















101. Go to the Renaissance Festival 
 


Completed: 68 / 101
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Sunday, December 31, 2023

#gretchensbooks2023 - December

 


Though I beat my reading goal, I didn't get near as much reading in this month as I'd hoped (though I've been sick for half of it, so I guess I'm using that as an excuse!) Guess that just means I am going to have to start off the new year strong!!




Book #146 of 2023 🎧 After That Night (Will Trent #11) by Karin Slaughter 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5


📚GENRE: Police Procedural

🗓PUBLISHED: 22 August 2023



Will Trent and Sara Linton are back! This is the eleventh electrifying thriller featuring GBI investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton from New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter.

After that night, nothing was ever the same again.

Fifteen years ago, Sara Linton’s life changed forever when a celebratory night out ended in a violent attack that tore her world apart. Since then, Sara has remade her life. A successful doctor, engaged to a man she loves, she has finally managed to leave the past behind her.

Until one evening, on call in the ER, everything changes. Sara battles to save a broken young woman who’s been brutally attacked. But as the investigation progresses, led by GBI Special Agent Will Trent, it becomes clear that Dani Cooper’s assault is uncannily linked to Sara’s.

And it seems the past isn’t going to stay buried forever.


When I saw the audio was 17 hours I was worried it wouldn’t be able to keep my attention. I don’t know why I even worried! I was absolutely hooked from the beginning. For the most part, I’ve really like all the Will Trent books, but this one is easily my favorite. I did not see the ending coming, though maybe I should have. As traumatic as the storyline is, I’m glad they pulled in more of Sara’s background too.





Book #147 of 2023 📖 Playing for Pizza by John Grisham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5


📚GENRE: Sports Fiction

🗓PUBLISHED: 4 September 2007


Rick Dockery was the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In the deciding game at the climax of the season, to the surprise and dismay of virtually everyone, Rick actually got into the game. With a 17-point lead and just minutes to go, Rick provided what was arguably the worst single performance in the history of the NFL. Overnight, he became a national laughing stock and, of course, was immediately dropped by the Browns and shunned by all other teams. But all Rick knows is football, and he insists that his agent, Arnie, finds a team that needs him. Against enormous odds, Arnie finally locates just such a team and informs Rick that, miraculously, he can in fact now be a starting quarterback. Great says Rick - for which team? The mighty Panthers of Parma, Italy. Yes, Italians do play American football, to one degree or another, and the Parma Panthers desperately want a player from the home of American footballat their helm. So Rick reluctantly agrees to play for the Panthers - at least until a better offer comes along - and heads off to Italy. He knows nothing about Parma (not even where it is), has never been to Europe, and doesn't speak or understand a word of Italian. To say that Italy - the land of opera, fine wines, extremely small cars, romance and football americano - holds a few surprises for Rick Dockery would be something of an understatement.


Usually Grisham’s non-law books don’t appeal to m me as much, but I enjoyed this one! From the premise on the jacket of the book, I thought there would be more drama, but I found I wasn’t super disappointed when there wasn’t. It was just a fun story of a man figuring his life out in kind of a sweet way. Also, now I would like to go to Italy. 





Book #148 of 2023 🎧 The Summer Girl (Avalon Bay #3) by Elle Kennedy ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5


📚GENRE: Contemporary Romance 

🗓PUBLISHED: 18 July 2023


College student Cassie Soul hasn’t spent an entire summer in Avalon Bay in years, not since her parents divorced and her mother spitefully whisked her away to Boston. Now that her grandmother is selling the boardwalk hotel that’s been in their family for five decades, Cassie returns to the quaint beach town to spend time with family, ring in her twenty-first birthday…and maybe find herself a summer fling.

On her first night in town, she finds the perfect candidate: Tate Bartlett, Avalon Bay’s fun-loving golden boy.

Tate, sailing instructor and lovable player, is no stranger to flings. In fact, he’s always down for a good time. But the moment he meets Cassie, he knows she’s not the girl you play games with. Cassie is gorgeous, hilarious, and, frankly, the coolest person he’s ever met. The last thing he wants to do is risk breaking her heart, and so he reluctantly puts her in the friend-zone…only to realize he made a huge mistake. Soon, his attraction to Cassie becomes impossible to ignore. He wants that fling now. Big-time.

And maybe even something more.

As Cassie and Tate walk the line between friends and lovers, they’re about to discover that their situation is the least complicated part of this equation. Because Avalon Bay is full of secrets—and their relationship might not survive when those secrets come to light.

This one was fine, but nothing special. I liked the previous two books in the series better. I loathed the way the main male character talked/thought about the main female characters boobs. I get that it’s a romance book, but blegh. The characters were likable, but again, not as much as in the former books in this series.





Book #149 of 2023 🎧 Find A Stranger, Say Goodbye by Lois Lowry ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5


📚GENRE: YA Fiction

🗓PUBLISHED: February 1990


Natalie Armstrong has everything: she’s smart and beautiful, has the perfect boyfriend, early acceptance to college, and a loving family. But the summer she turns seventeen, she finally decides to ask some unanswered questions: Who are her biological parents and why did they give her up when she was born?

These questions take her on a journey from the deep woods of Maine to the streets of New York City, from the pages of old phone books and a tattered yearbook photo to the realization that she might actually meet her biological mother face-to-face.


Lois Lowry wrote some of my favorite books, so I figured I should read some of hers that I hadn’t read yet. I think I would have really enjoyed this book in middle school, but at this age it was just a sweet story. Some of her books are timeless to me, but this is definitely meant for a YA audience.



Book #150 of 2023 📖 Good As Gone by Amy Gentry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5


📚GENRE: Thriller

🗓PUBLISHED: 26 July 2016


Anna’s daughter Julie was kidnapped from her own bedroom when she was thirteen years old, while Anna slept just downstairs, unaware that her daughter was being ripped away from her. For eight years, she has lived with the guilt and the void in her family, hoping against hope that Julie is still alive. 

And then one night, the doorbell rings. A young woman who appears to be Julie is finally, miraculously, home safe. Anna and the rest of the family are thrilled, but soon Anna begins to see holes in Julie’s story. When she is contacted by a former detective turned private eye, she is forced to wonder if this young woman is even her daughter at all. And if she isn’t Julie, what is it that she wants?


This was a random purchase from McKays, so I didn’t know what to expect going in. I really enjoyed it! I liked the dual-perspective, and the way Gentry unfolded the story of “Julie.” I thought that though the premise isn’t a super unusual one, the execution and how the story ended seemed unique.




Book #151 of 2023 🎧 Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum #30) by Janet Evanovich ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5


📚GENRE: Fiction

🗓PUBLISHED: 31 October 2023


Stephanie Plum, Trenton’s hardest working, most underappreciated bounty hunter, is offered a freelance assignment that seems simple enough. Local jeweler Martin Rabner wants her to locate his former security guard, Andy Manley (a.k.a. Nutsy), who he is convinced stole a fortune in diamonds out of his safe. Stephanie is also looking for another troubled man, Duncan Dugan, a fugitive from justice arrested for robbing the same jewelry store on the same day.

With her boyfriend Morelli away in Miami on police business, Stephanie is taking care of Bob, Morelli’s giant orange dog who will devour anything, from Stephanie’s stray donuts to the upholstery in her car. Morelli’s absence also means the inscrutable, irresistible security expert Ranger is front and center in Stephanie’s life when things inevitably go sideways. And he seems determined to stay there.

To complicate matters, her best friend Lula is convinced she is being stalked by a mythological demon hell-bent on relieving her of her wardrobe. An overnight stakeout with Stephanie’s mother and Grandma Mazur reveals three generations of women with nerves of steel and driving skills worthy of NASCAR champions.

As the body count rises and witnesses start to disappear, it won’t be easy for Stephanie to keep herself clean when everyone else is playing dirty. It’s a good thing Stephanie isn’t afraid of getting a little dirty, too.


It’s been awhile since I’ve listened to a Stephanie Plum book (well, since the last release). I forgot how much I enjoy the performer of this series. She does a great job making the comedy of the story even funnier with her intonation. I started out this series reading the physical books, but I’m glad I made the switch to audio. It’s rare when audio is better than the physical, but with this series it definitely is!





Book #152 of 2023 🎧 Never Knowing by a Chevy Stevens ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5


📚GENRE: Thriller

🗓PUBLISHED: 5 July 2011


All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara did not have an ideal home life. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and to find closure. 

But some questions are better left unanswered. 

After months of research, Sara locates her birth mother---only to be met with horror and rejection. Then she discovers the devastating truth: Her mother was the only victim ever to escape a killer who has been hunting women every summer for decades. But Sara soon realizes the only thing worse than finding out about her father is him finding out about her. 

What if murder is in your blood? 

Never Knowing is a complex and compelling portrayal of one woman's quest to understand herself, her origins, and her family. That is, if she can survive. . . .


The performer was not great. When I finished the book, reviews came up and from all the reviews I saw, this was not an unpopular opinion. The story wasn’t my favorite of hers. It was well enough written, but I feel like it resolved pretty quickly. I figured there would be a final twist, but it wasn’t at all the one I predicted. 



Book #153 of 2023 📖 The Windeby Child by Lois Lowry ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5


📚GENRE: YA Historical Fiction

🗓PUBLISHED: 14 February 2023


Estrild is not like the other girls in her village; she wants to be a warrior. Varick, the orphan boy who helps her train in spite of his twisted back, also stands apart. In a world where differences are poorly tolerated, just how much danger are they in?

Inspired by the true discovery of the 2,000-year-old Windeby bog body in Northern Germany, Newbery Medalist and master storyteller Lois Lowry transports readers to an Iron age world as she breathes life back into the Windeby child, left in the bog to drown with a woolen blindfold over its eyes.

This was a really neat concept for a book. It’s like a creative writing assignment, or a game I would have played growing up - see a photo and make up a story for it. Or see a person in a place and make up a story for them. I think I’m hovering between a 3.5-4 ⭐️ rating for the one. 




Book #154 of 2023 🎧 Chalked Up: My Life in Elite Gymnastics by Jennifer Sey ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5


📚GENRE: Memoir

🗓PUBLISHED: 22 April 2008


Fanciful dreams of becoming the next Nadia Comaneci led Jennifer Sey to become a gymnast at the age of six. Her early success propelled her family to sacrifice everything to help her become, by age 11, one of America’s elite. But as she set her sights higher and higher, Jennifer began to change, setting her needs, her health, and her well-being aside in the name of winning. And the adults in her life refused to notice her downward spiral.


Now, Sey reveals the tarnish beneath her gold medals. A powerful portrait of intensity and drive, eating disorders and stage parents, abusive coaches and manipulative businessmen, Chalked Up is the story of a young girl whose dreams would become subsumed by the adults around her.


My expectations for this book were not met. I thought it would be about how a girls love for the sport of gymnastics was diminished by the toxicity of the sport, and while that was certainly talked about, it never felt like she actually liked gymnastics, which made it hard to read. I didn’t research into her life, so maybe she has taken care of this, but homegirl needs therapy. She was really back and forth on how great her parents were for giving everything up so she could pursue gymnastics and how awful they were for making her pursue gymnastics. It read like she didn’t quite have her feelings in order about a lot of things, which is valid, but doesn’t bode well for a book.





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(Summaries are from Amazon, but all reviews are my own!)

Reading Challenge: 154/120 books read in 2023

You can find previous book reviews here and add me on Goodreads here! Also, if you use StoryGraph, you can add me here!

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