The Thoughts of AmyG...: 100 Skills Everyone Should Master

hmmm... so, my good friend Jenny Nikki posted, and insisted I did as well. So here it is! Nothing new here. I finally got my applications into some schools to see if I can get into a PhD program. I'm about a semester away from my masters, and although I'm extremely excited about it, I know there is a lot of work to do before I can get that degree. A LOT of work. And that is stressing me out a little. But my goal is to take it one day at a time. It's all you can do, right?

Anyway, I found this list on a website yesterday (courtesy of http://mightygirl.com/2009/12/30/100-skills-everyone-should-master/), so I thought I would go through it and see what all I have done. Hmmmm... let's find out, shall we?

1. Set goals - Yep, I've done this!
2. Keep a plant alive - Oh, no! I fail miserably at this! I can't even keep the unkillable plants alive!
3. Care for a baby - Does babysitting count? Because I am WAY far away from doing this myself!
4. CPR - I've always wanted to get certified...
5. Feel confident naked - ummm, sure?
6. Interview for a job - I've done this, but as a skill? Mostly I feel like I rely on luck...
7. Bake a birthday cake - Yes! For every family member. Ask my sister how her cake turned out this year. Quite good if I say so myself!
8. Use a fire extinguisher - I've never used one, but I know HOW to use one, and that's important
9. Use a compass - Hey, I was a girl scout once!
10. Express condolences - Yeah, but there's really no comment on this
11. Tell a joke - I might be terrible at it, but I've done it!
12. Remember names - uh.... yeah, I'm kinda bad at that.
13. Sharpen a knife - With very bad consequences. Needless to say, I'm not allowed to play with sharp objects.
14. Dump a poisonous friend - I have never dumped a friend. Maybe backed away for awhile
15. Check your oil and tires - I know how to do this!
16. Relax/Meditate - ooohhhh, that's a hard one. My life is one big ball of stress!
17. Apologize - It might be hard to do, but it is an important skill
18. Be polite - I'm from the south, of course I know how to be polite!
19. Get a good night’s sleep - Again, hard to do when your life is stressful, but very rewarding when you get it!
20. Dress appropriately for the situation - I suck at this! But I'm learning to always over dress than under dress. Better to look nicer in the situation than like you don't care.
21. Type - I can type a mile a minute! Thanks to high school BCIS!
22. Fight fair - as in physically fighting? never really done that. But I'm sure I would fight fair. Wouldn't I?
23. Read - I love to read! It keeps me up way late at night, but totally worth it.
24. Ask for exactly what you want - It depends if it's worth it or not...
25. Trap a rat or mouse - eewww! I'm not sure I could do that. Though, I do work with mice, but those are clean mice. Trapping a wild mice? Do you know how many germs there might be on those things? eeewww!
26. Basic stretches and/or yoga poses - I know basic stretching thanks to 13 years of dance, but I would like to know some yoga poses...
27. Heimlich - Something I would like to learn to do properly
28. Please a partner sexually - yeah, no.
29. Tell your partner what you want in bed - Again, not happened yet.
30. Shine your shoes - No, but a lot of my shoes need it.
31. Make your case in writing - I don't think so. Unless it's my thesis, then yes, in what will be about 100 pages. Ugh, thinking about it makes me stressed.
32. Tie a scarf or tie (bowtie too) - I know how to do some tieing (spelling?) of scarfs. Thanks to the ladies who work for my dad at the hospital. They are super awesome!
33. Jump a car - Unfortunately I do know how to do this. My battery has suffered ever since...
34. Mix a signature drink - As in my own drink? No, but I make a mean margarita!
35. Delegate - somewhat.
36. Make a simple meal for company - I love doing this! I haven't done it in awhile, I should do it again...
37. Give a neckrub - No, it seems awkward to me.
38. Drive a stick - haha! Somewhat! My dad taught me, but I haven't done it in traffic or anything...
39. Ride a bike - Yes, and I fell off a lot. I have the scars to prove it.
40. Swim - I love to swim! Best thing there is! I took swimming lessons every summer I was a child, sometimes from 3 different places at once (maybe my parents were over-cautious?). It turned me into a water baby...
41. Use chopsticks - Yep, my friends wouldn't let me use a fork when we would go eat sushi...
42. Make a new friend - Everyone knows how to do this! right?
43. Build something simple - No, I'm not really sure I have...
44. Change a tire and put on snow chains - I know how to change a tire, though I've never done it myself. Same with snow chains. Though, if I move up north I might need to learn how...
45. Give a toast - No, I've never done that.
46. Make a perfect egg - I only like scramble eggs, but I can make those really well!
47. Speak in public - I'm in science, it's a skill I'm learning...
48. Improve your mood - From sad to happy? Nothing ice cream or a good friend can't fix!
49. Simple mending - Mending as in sewing? With my grandmother? I learned how sew on buttons, hem my jeans and pants (she stopped when I was 15. I can't help it if I'm short!), sew up holes, and even make my own pajama shorts and t-shirt quilts one of my biggest accomplishments!
50. Travel light - No, I can honestly say I cannot do this.
51. Steam vegetables - Yes, although I don't do it often.
52. Negotiate - I kinda suck at it...
53. Be a good listener - I would like to think I am...
54. Be alone comfortably - Yep!
55. Select good produce - I can do this, too...
56. Maintain your weight - Maintain, yes. Lose, no.
57. Build savings - You can't build savings if you don't get paid... sigh...
58. Say no/disappoint someone - Unfortunately...
59. Use a drill - I've never done it, but now I want to use one!
60. Flexibility in the face of the unexpected - Yep. Although I admit I'm stubborn, so it might take awhile...
61. Make small talk - Again, not too good at it...
62. Skip a rock - I have done it before, but I think luck was on my side...
63. Set personal boundaries - yes?
64. Organize your home - Eek! I would like to think I am kinda organized, but I always want to be more so. At least most of the time I can find everything. That's a plus.
65. Deliver a eulogy - No, I have not done this.
66. Shuffle a deck of cards - Yep!
67. Dance socially - Not really. Unless it's line dancing. Hey! I did say I was from the south...
68. Know a second language - I wish I did! My college roommate tried to teach me, but I only caught a few phrases.
69. Win the affection of a dog or cat - Of course! I DO have the best cat out there. Remind me, I need to include a picture...
70. Write a quality love letter - No
71. Play one card game well - Anyone want to challenge me in a game of Cribbage?
72. Eat healthfully - I'm working on this. I've done, well, not extremely well lately, but a lot better than before.
73. Create a budget - Yes, I do know how to do this. Although, Christmas threw me off, but I'm getting back on.
74. Take a decent photo - Yes
75. Order the wine - Uh... No, but I do give input when someone else orders.
76. Know what makes you happy - Mostly, but I think my list is growing
77. Flirt - Not well. It's a skill I might need to learn...
78. Make a good first impression - I hope I do.
79. Write a thank you note - Yes.
80. Find a perfect gift - Not often, but I love the rush when I do!
81. Assertiveness - It depends...
82. Arriving on time - Working on it...
83. Make a little kid laugh - I've done this!
84. Kiss well - Another skill I need to learn...
85. Make a good mix tape - Oh yes.
86. Tie basic knots - I can tie a mean square knot, again thanks to girl scouts...
87. Dress to flatter your shape - Again, working on it...
88. Build a campfire - Girl Scouts, remember?
89. Change the subject - Yes, although my friend says I don't do it well. I just think he doesn't follow with the conversation to begin with though...
90. Acquire or shed a habit - I'm working on getting rid of the nail biting thing. Such a bad habit!
91. Treat a hangover - To my credit, I've only been truly hungover twice or so, but this means that I don't really know how to treat one. Advil and water, right?
92. Be a good judge of character - I find I'm sometimes too critical at first glance. I'm working on it, because most people turn out way better than I give them credit for at first. Wow, that makes me sound like a not-so-good person...
93. Season a cast-iron skillet - As in you never, EVER put one in a dishwater, or wash one for that matter?
94. Give a compliment - Yes, I think I can do this.
95. Accept a compliment - I read somewhere that you should just say thank you, and not try to reflect it by saying something else or give a long explanation. I'm working on it.
96. Contribute in group situations - Depends on the group
97. Judge yourself by your own yardstick - Huh? If you're talking about judging myself, yes, I do do that.
98. Calculate the tip - Yes! I've successfully managed to figure it out! Math really isn't my strong point...
99. Ask for a raise - I need to work on getting paid first...
100. Build a shelter - I can set up a tent, does that count?

Other suggestions:

-Do a load of laundry - I think by graduate school everyone should know how to do this.
-Keep your living space clean - Hey! I'm working on it!
-Write legibly - Never going to happen.
-Choose a good mate - Working on it...
-Ask for help - Even though I am annoying because I ask too much, I feel it's better to be annoying but do it right the first time.

Wow, I can't believe I just went through that whole list. I think I did pretty good knowing how to do some of those things. lol.

Anyway, this was quite a long post for me. Enjoy it!

-amyg

My cute kitten, London! Here with the sister, right after I first got him. He is so adorable! And tiny here!

Here he is, asleep on my journal article that I needed to present the next day. I guess he decided I was paying more attention to that than to him... He still looks so tiny!