October Round Up - Anne

Here we go- another update to see how things are going. I may find the time to post more specifically on some of this progress-

1) Make an afghan for afghans for Afghans - I have some yarn, donated by friends and I am highly motivated to start. This should begin this week.
2) Consolidate 401k/IRA/503b plans hanging around from previous jobs - I brought my car loan over to the new bank and have fully consolidated my liquid accounts at one bank. Next, I want to eliminate one of my credit cards. I admit I have two because I got one from the credit union, which is the one I want to keep. Once this final step is done, I will proceed with the evaluations/consolidations!
3) Research before and one year after consolidation the performance of the funds - Nope.
4) Confirm at least once that all address in my address book are accurate - I call this progress because I just updated an address today and have actually been in contact with people (found out someone moved to California and I had no idea!)
5) Call everyone who sent me a Christmas card within 6 months of January 1 - The address updates have helped- I only have a very few people I haven't been in contact with even if I didn't call. I think I reset the parameters for this one to this next Christmas and vow that I will finish the address book update at the same time.
6) Sell extra books - Done! And now I will do this more regularly since they actually bought some of my books!
7) Buy a good pair of winter boots - The time is near.
9) Watch all my Looney Tunes DVDs - I haven't done this, but I have a funny motivation based on having read Old Man's War, in which the main character downloads all the Looney Tunes cartoons. I liked the book pretty much, too.
10) Lose at least 20 pounds - I decided not to weigh myself this week. A change to my diet should mean that I am on the right track, but we'll see next week when I come back to weighing mysef.
11) Get green stripe belt - I just noticed the bad spelling I had in the previous post for this. Oh well. I may need to re-do this one. With the back pain keeping me out of kicking commission, I reflected back on my initial search for a martial art and my main focus was on weapons. I think I need to return to that, since that was the initial motivator, and choose a new place based on that. 
12) Be able to do a high-section roundhouse kick - I am calling this one done. I did do it and the truth is, even if I did it with a little help one for the full dramatic version or against an opponent that was a couple inches shorter than me for a less dramatic look, it was still done.
13) Go to taekwondo class three times a week for at least one month - Affected by my new search- will have a new parameter set.
14) Finish at least 5 books I haven't finished yet sitting on my shelves - one of five done. I continue to read, but have been reading other things. It will happen. Seriously.
15) Visit Mom for a week - No plans yet.
16) Visit Tim's family - No plans yet.
17) Visit Uncle Matty - I got to see Uncle Matty at my cousin's wedding. Not only that, I got to dance with him and sit at the same table with him. I should be seeing him again in a non-wedding situation, but I am counting this one done- the dancing makes the difference!
18) Visit family graves - Not done yet.
22) Get amber ring fixed - Not done yet, but I have now two amber rings to fix.
23) Finish a Wii game - Dance Dance Revolution, Rock Band or Guitar Hero? I tried to play Elebits with Tim on my birthday weekend and it made me get motion sickness- and we were so close to finishing! Progress made, but not done yet.
24) Finish Pikmin 2 - Not done yet, but I better pick up the pace since Pikmin 3 is in development.
27) Try a new recipe every month - I made an Inside Out Pineapple cake this week. It wasn't bad. I like carrot cake better. Ongoing.
28) Finish DK Junglebeat - I played a different game that uses the bongo controllers, but nothing done on this one.
34) Find and buy jeans that fit well - I haven't even tried. Once it gets cooler, this will become more of a priority.
35) Buy a good black turtleneck - The time is coming.
37) Make something with a piece of fabric I already own - I've pulled out all of my yarn to shame myself into seeing how much I have that I haven't used yet. So wasteful! I have a feeling a pile of fabric will be following it.
38) Go through and organize jewelry - Stalled out.
39) Sell/Try to sell something I've made - This may be one way to use up that yarn.
40) Finish at least 4 of the cross-stitch kits that I have - Nope. Not now. That yarn.
42) Make and post a product for my website - Strategizing still
43) Buy beeswax candles - Still on hold. The upside- my living room smells like cinnamon (well, maybe an upside to some) as I burn through what I've already got.
44) Go to a fair - I missed it! I can't believe it! On my birthday weekend, I missed the Big E and said I would go to the Topsfield fair. Then I drove by the cars waiting in line to go to it as I went to NH. I didn't even know it was going on and I drove by it the last day! Ok. This looks like it is next year now. 
45) Invite someone to my house every month - After my birthday outing, people came over to play wii. I had a good time. ongoing.
46) Clean out front room closet - I just pulled some yarn out of the closet!
47) Clean out file cabinet - Let's say I have filing to do.
48) Try to print my own photos on printer - I think the printer is attached now, but I have scanning to do before I print anything.
49) Organize/Store files sitting under desk - No further progress.
52) Import DVDs into computer- Nope.
54) Get Looney Tunes on my iPod - Although this would facilitate my viewing of Looney Tunes, I haven't done it.
55) Catch up on podcasts - This continues to be fun. I added a Live Polka podcast. Yes, pretty weird, but it is happy music for the morning and for sitting in traffic on the way home (I can tap my hand against the steering wheel in time to the music while I wait!). In addition, I am now catching up on the Radio Adventures of Doctor Floyd, which is pretty fun, too.
56) Set up folders for iPod in iTunes and organize updating/synching - I think this is basically done, but will hold off on checking it off until I catch up on one particular podcast.
57) Post to website every month - Please ignore this for now.
61) Decide on other domain name: parked domain or new site and set it up - It is the setup part that still needs to be done
62) Get a full first draft of translation - I got access to the university library to facilitate this. I even went and began doing more translating. My time feels tight and I dream of getting a nice translation setup at home. So progress was made, but is stalled a little to see how I can get it into my schedule better.
63) Figure out camera settings for indoor group pictures - I haven't looked into this more.
64) Find something red to wear for rat year - I wore a red bracelet on my birthday. I will put it back on tomorrow and hope good luck follows.
65) Figure out what to do with earrings I don't wear - I'm thinking bracelet, but haven't actually looked at what I have to work with yet.
66) Read travel book by Achim von Arnim - Not yet.
67) Go to geek knitting meeting - I think arranging my own geek knitting is what will have to happen- unless going to the guild meeting counts. I think it might. Too bad this stopped right after I found out about it.
68) Evaluate usefulness of Seashore program - I just heard about another open source graphics program for the mac. I need to look into this.
70) Finish scanning old paper photos - That is part of cleaning out files under the table. Fingers crossed, will be done by the end of this year.
71) Join a guild - Joined the Crochet Guild!
72) Get a backup made of my digital/digitized photos - Not done yet.
73) Start to learn a new language - Cute language wins. Studio italiano!
74) Find a Spanish reader and read it- I found it. I haven't read it.
75) Learn at least 250 kanji - No advancement yet.
76) Read one of the Polish books at home - Not yet.
77) Read through/finish Vietnamese textbook - No advancement yet, although I put all the audio material on my iPod.
78) Compliment a total stranger - Done! There was a woman headed into the office who looked fabulous in a color I could never wear. I let her know how great it looked on her. I realized the real block to this may have been just talking to a stranger. I notice people all the time, but taking that step to break the silence between people is kind of tough (unless they are jerks driving in front of me- ok, even then I don't think they hear me).
82) Buy a friend lunch when it isn't their birthday - I had a great lunch and was happy to pick up the tab. 
83) Have a day where I fully live: "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all." -I actually feel I may be closer to being able to do this. At work I've instituted some walks to get me away from the computer and the stress (one in the morning and one in the afternoon- about 5-10 minutes each) and it has really helped my overall attitude. I thought about it when I thought of line workers who get breaks (unless they work for a lousy company) and how I just don't move from the computer for most of the day. It really makes a difference to take a quick walk.
84) Translate my resume into German - I did a first draft of my resume in CV form. It isn't in German yet.
85) Take someone on my favorite downtown walk - Not yet.
86) Write letters to three people letting them know how special they are - Not yet.
87) Set up an ebay account to see that sanrio item - Not yet, but I tried to investigate what the pricing/paypal/seller's membership options are. I'm still a little confused.
88) Finish a first draft of a creative writing project - I have two stories partially written. I know one of them, I can't pick up the story again. It is sad, but the tone of voice and the projection of the action were so based in a specific time, I can't even remember what I was going to do next. Sounds like a re-write.
90) Spend no money for 4 days straight - The last thing I bought was on Tuesday- I went to the grocery store. I decided to buy lunch tomorrow. I got 2 days along without trying. I think I can do this if I just plan ahead.
91) Eat at No 9 Park - Not yet.
92) Eat at Aujord'hui - Not yet.
93) Figure out how I will convert to digital TV - No real plan for this, but I should figure it out in the next couple months.
94) Bind a book - Nope.
95) Make/Attempt to make all the box patterns in that origami book - Another nope.
96) Make the cherry blossom origami that was the reason I got that other origami book - Thrice nope.
97) Save for/Plan/or Actually take a trip to the Pacific Northwest - The lottery and racetrack have not paid out yet.
98) Meet Wendy's children - Not yet.
99) Try to learn a song on the harmonica - I have a deep seated desire to play the concertina. I have now learned that in both German and Italian, the concertina is a harmonica. Can I use that to fulfill this? As a polyglot, I think I have that flexibility.
100) Learn 5 chords on the guitar and be able to switch between them all well - Still a "to do" item.

Change is good

This has been a week of improvement and some change in a good way. I started Italian class this week (which means another to do is done). While I was in Verona last October, two little girls walked by very animatedly speaking in Italian. It was honestly the cutest thing I have ever heard. We all know that English isn't cute. German also doesn't have a big reputation for cuteness. Polish? I like it, but still a far cry from Italian little girl cuteness. I also just liked being there, so I decided to give myself a break from hard languages and go for a cute one. You'd think it would be easy- and I'm pretty sure it will be shortly- but after my last round of language learning (Japanese and Vietnamese at the same time) it isn't like anything I've done- so there is some adjustment. Speaking of Vietnamese, I bumped into my Vietnamese professor on the way to Italian. If they had a second year, I would have taken it, but Harvard doesn't offer two years in the evening, so I am stunted in my Vietnamese language development currently. He was a great teacher and such a nice person; it was great to bump into him. One note on the Italian instructor- when he walked into the classroom, I thought he looked like a bust of Goethe or some other person from the 1700's. I don't know what it is exactly, but that is what he reminds me of. He is really great so far and I am really enjoying the class. 

So, my schedule needs to absorb this change, i.e. accommodating for the class two times/week. Since I need to leave work early, I also go into work early two days per week. This means I've been getting up a little earlier. I have stuck with doing wii fit every day in the morning and now on the days when I don't go into work early, I can spend an extra 15 minutes doing it. It puts me in a good mood (even when the weigh in doesn't make me happy), which is a good thing on its own. (I figured out my problem with the triangle and got 4 stars! My new love is rhythm boxing.) In addition, I've instituted a 10:30 am walk around the building - just to get away from my desk and move a little bit. I've had a co-worker or two do the quick walk with me twice so far and I find it does make a difference in how I feel as well. I don't want to be stuck in front of the computer non-stop. That definitely makes me unhappy. I am already planning on slowly integrating a lunchtime stretch and a 3 pm walkaround, but I want to add things in slowly and adjust so that they stick. I can be totally gung ho about something and stick with it, but unless I make some changes incrementally, I can get distracted and not continue. The next exercise to add on will be regular Dance Dance Revolution in the evening to balance out the Wii Fit in the morning.

Due to what the nutritionist told me (I'll meet with her again in November), I began to keep a food diary. She had only told me to keep a migraine diary, but I realized that I couldn't know when a migraine would hit, so I better keep the diary in anticipation of one happening. So far no migraine, but the food diary definitely is helping me to cut down on in-between meal snacks. I don't track water- but I do for everything else and there was one day when I honestly turned down a snack because I didn't want to write it down in the book. I guess this is having a good effect, although this one may be a difficult one to keep going. We'll see if I absorb this behavior as well. A note to the sweet endings I crave - I just had some Ovaltine. I like Ovaltine. The one I had today was Chocolate Malt flavor. I tried Ovaltine only a few years ago- maybe 7 or 8- because my dad had made some comment about drinking it when he was a kid. I took that to mean it was a good memory. I do like it and for some reason am convinced the malt not only tastes good but may actually be good for me. If this is not true, please do not tell me. My dad also liked tripe soup because he ate that when he was a kid, but I haven't picked that up as a habit.

Now, I need to find time to fit in my translation work, either for myself or professionally. In order to be full force professional, I need to follow through on some computer purchases that I am not quite ready for, so I have been basically sitting around, looking into things and preparing for when the time comes to act. As far as translating for myself- I now have access to Harvard's libraries, which means I now have the means to (can you believe I am writing this?) begin work on my dissertation topic once again. It has changed somewhat from what I thought I would write before. I am also spending time translating (German- not Italian!) which was not part of the original plan, but I think it will serve me well. This helps me work towards achieving a part of my to do list as well-

I think I had a few more things to write about, but that is it for now- I have to go to bed and read- another habit I am trying to pick up is a little bit of reading every night. I usually finish 2-3 books per month, but I've slowed down lately- so I want to make sure I make time for that too. With a yawn- I head to bed and await my kitty cat's demands for attention in spite of my obvious sleepiness.

9/11The Worst Year of My LifeThe Shirt I'm Wearing TodayThe NutritionistA New Commitmentand How It All Fits Together

Maybe it all only fits together because I am the binding figure amongst all these characters.

From the date on this post, you'll know it is 9/11. This year, perhaps more than some others, I've spent some time thinking back to where I was in 2001 on this date. I was living in Somerville, MA. I heard about the planes and the towers while at work and went out with the Controller to bring a tv back to the office so people could watch what was going on. We got to his house to get the little tv just as one of the towers was falling. People were told they could go home after we got back and eventually I did. Later that evening, in the general quiet, I heard the planes flying overhead from the Air Force Base and became fully aware of how surreal normal sounds could become. I was scheduled to fly on September 13. Taking the bonus check from President Bush, a roommate and I were going to fly to Prague. That trip never happened since Logan airport wasn't open in time. 

The year following was really a terrible year in my life regarding self-esteem, judgement and about a million other things. I don't think terrorists caused my bad year, but the attacks were coincidental with the beginning of it and so this day has made me reflective on that general time period as well. Without realizing it until I was out of the house today, I put on a shirt that I had bought during that bad year and haven't worn for a long time. Once I did realize it, I decided that I would get rid of this shirt after today. I had worn it to work one day that year and felt that it was a lot sheerer than I had thought when I bought it. I asked another woman at the company if it was too sheer. She assured me everything was ok, but when I got under some brighter lights where there was a mirror, I realized that she was terribly wrong or maybe didn't care. I wore a sweater over it today. And so I feel like with the disposal of this shirt, I might be able to symbolically put a little more of that time in my life to rest a little more solidly. 

But I've been feeling a little reflective anyway. I went to see a nutritionist for the first time (wish I had that on my list!) and she asked me questions about eating habits and exercise. It became really obvious to me how much I had let circumstances determine my behavior all the way down to my eating habits. Perhaps two big factors were the death of my father (1) while I was in a lousy job that had me crying in frustration regularly (2). All I wanted was comfort, so exercise and healthy eating took a back seat to convenience and comfort foods. The truth is that I know how to eat well and be healthy, but I've lacked the commitment. After talking with the nutritionist, I realized that that was all I needed. And, in order to get that commitment and keep it, I have to do a little less of the feeling sorry for myself that got me here. As much as I have a plan on how to upgrade my computer system most effectively, I have the beginnings of a plan in my mind on how to get back to healthy living, self-improvement and (the real dream) self-employment. Seriously, if I could have today, I would have walked out of work without a look back, but the tiny check I've gotten for my self-employment efforts so far is not enough to support me for more than - oh - a day. I continue to work on my grand plan.

And since this post isn't quite rambling enough, I have two other things to report-

Tim and I were going to go on a bike ride. I haven't ridden my bike in at least two years. I took it to the bike shop on the weekend for a tune up and just got it back today. I rode it a little. It is nice to ride a bike- especially one in just the right condition like this is now. I remember once I went over to Martina's place after I had gotten my grad school bike. Martina's place was close, so I walked, but then decided I had to jog. When I arrived and told her and her roommate about it, one of them asked if I jogged because the ground wasn't moving fast enough for me anymore. That was so true! So here is the hope that the ground needs to move faster for me again.

I have a bit of a sugar problem. I do like to finish meals with something sweet- and it really doesn't have to be sugar, but often that is what it is. Last night I was trying to figure out what to have that wasn't bad for me when I found a box of soy pudding I bought at the Asian market. I was pretty sure when I bought this that it was an instant version of the stuff that I've had at dim sum. Well, I spent a little more time with the box and found out that the French translation that exists in addition to the English and Chinese and Vietnamese calls this soy cheese. Not knowing which was the bad translation, I went ahead and made it and it is pretty much what I expected. It isn't really sweet, but it is hitting the post-dinner spot.

OK- one last thing-

I'm back on the daily morning dose of Wii Fit. I am apparently terrible at the Triangle in the yoga section (0 points- I admit it!), but I am really enjoying getting those light morning exercises in.

Gettin' It Done

I have two things to cross off my list now-

Sell those books and Take someone out to lunch for no reason. I think in the future when I do the round ups I'll just eliminate the ones I already marked as done and only mark the ones done that are new. I think it will be motivational to watch the list shrink. Anyway-

I packed up my three bags of books and put them in the back of the car to make sure I would definitely get these to the bookstore. I also had a bag for Goodwill. First to Goodwill where I got a fantastic parking spot. Then off to the bookstore where again I got a fantastic parking spot. My luck was high and I must have been doing exactly what I should have been doing at that moment. (ah, sympatico)

With only minor difficulty, I hauled the three heavy bags of books into the bookstore and was told to take them downstairs. Perfect timing as I reached the desk and one of the handles on one of the bags tore and became no longer functional. At first I had to wait for someone else to be helped. Not all of his books were being bought and he seemed a bit insulted. As the guy behind the desk pushed books back to him, the seller said, "Can I ask why you are rejecting these? I mean, what's wrong with the biography of Eric Clapton?"

"Well," the guy behind the desk said, "We don't take hardback."

"They're a problem?" the seller asked.

"Yes, they are a problem."

"What about this book?" the seller asked in a surprisingly indignant tone.

"We already have a lot of that one," the guy behind the desk said.

I wanted to turn to the guy and tell him this wasn't an evaluation of his taste, but I refrained myself and instead felt amused. Good thing he didn't have my luck.

A different man came over at this point in the conversation next to me and began sorting my books. Of the three bags, just more than one bag was bought. It was still a nice $42 bonus for me. I guess 10 year old Feminist Studies books are not as hot as I thought, so those were all returned to me except for one. Nonetheless I perceived it as a bonus and will take other books to them in the future since the majority of my current book purchases are fiction, all of which they did buy.

So, rather than shop around the Feminist Studies books, I decided to take a trip back to the Goodwill and drop them there. I got the same fabulous parking spot with time left on the meter by the last person. Then I took my two bags remaining and (perfect timing again) dropped them off in the donation bins just as another handle was breaking. Since the handle was breaking, the books shifted around and the cover to "The Gay and Lesbian Studies Reader" came out on top. I wondered if Goodwill had any weird religious beliefs about selling such a book, but I left it for them to ponder and went home with a little extra cold hard cash in my pocket. If my local library had been taking donations, I would have dropped them there, but they currently have a hold on donations.

And for my second thing done, I met up with a friend for lunch. It was really tasty Taiwanese food and I was having a really nice time. When the check came, I put down my credit card my friend began looking for money. I told her that she didn't have to pay. She said she could certainly give me money. I told her I really enjoyed my time with her and that I would pay. And she let me. She didn't expect it and I didn't really plan on doing it when I walked in, so it was a good surprise for both of us.

Lastly, a note on making aioli. I made some tonight for a basil and tomato sandwich I will be eating tomorrow for dinner. Making mayonnaise is really easy, I learned. Starting out with raw egg yolks, even if you understand it academically, is a little different once you begin thinking about salmonella. I'm not too worried- I mean, people eat this stuff all the time, right? I'll be keeping this refrigerated though, don't worry. 

Big Big August Round up

So here I am, thinking that I would have way more done- we'll see as I work through this list. 

1) Make an afghan for afghans for Afghans - no real progress on this one. I am trying to use up yarn I already have before buying more, so I did start a scarf. Non-stop Project Runway viewing is surprisingly motivational.

2) Consolidate 401k/IRA/503b plans hanging around from previous jobs - This month I should be transferring my car loan over to my new bank. Once that is done, I'll be able to deal with the retirement stuff.
3) Research before and one year after consolidation the performance of the funds - Nope.
4) Confirm at least once that all address in my address book are accurate - I have begun this and actually contacted people. It is really nice and deleting an address or two hasn't been as traumatic as I thought. Of course, I stalled out a bit because of the next name on the list- this would be a controversial deletion, but I think I will actually attempt a phone call and see how it goes. Deletion to be determined after that.
5) Call everyone who sent me a Christmas card within 6 months of January 1 - This didn't happen, but I am feeling like the process of updating the addresses and getting in contact with people slowly but surely applies to this as well. So I'm calling progress on this one with the ability to change the parameters of this later once I've talked to everyone even if it took me longer.
6) Sell extra books - These are sitting on my floor in bags ready to get out of the house. I have a vacation day tomorrow, so I'm thinking of tossing these in the car and finally getting it done!
7) Buy a good pair of winter boots - I think the season is about to come for this one. 
8) Get a car - Jeep to 2008 Honda Fit. I love my Fit.
9) Watch all my Looney Tunes DVDs - I haven't taken the time for this lately.
10) Lose at least 20 pounds - Ugh. I am at the ultimate plateau for this. My body is fighting hard to stay where I am (which was the weight I was when I got out of high school). I know once I break through, I'll be able to drop 20 pretty easily, but it is getting beyond those first 5 pounds that is proving surprisingly hard. I have a new found dedication, but hope continues to wax and wane.
11) Get green stripe belt - Do to a death in the family followed by a back spasm, I was in no shape to take the last test. I know I can do this- now I need the stars to align slightly better than they were in August.
12) Be able to do a high-section roundhouse kick - In some ways, I think I have done this - well, for short opponents and with help. I have a feeling the dramatic looking high-section kick may not be the ultimate goal if I am realistic.
13) Go to taekwondo class three times a week for at least one month - More talk than action.
14) Finish at least 5 books I haven't finished yet sitting on my shelves - I finished a book on Feng Shui that has been sitting around for years. This prompted me to go into work, make my officemate switch seats with me and change the things hanging on the wall. Truly, he was totally into it and I keep waiting for all that good chi to start making work better. One of five done!
15) Visit Mom for a week - No plans yet, but she visited me for the first time in years.
16) Visit Tim's family - No plans yet.
17) Visit Uncle Matty - I'll be able to see Uncle Matty at the wedding I will be going to at the end of the month. I also unfortunately saw him at a funeral earlier last month- but I'd rather not count that one.
18) Visit family graves - Not done yet.
19) Create a spreadsheet for gift tracking (those I give) - so totally done.
20) Look into loveseat/foldout bed - when Mom came, I got a fold out chair that turns into a single bed. My apartment is small, so this size fits better.
21) Get component cables for Wii - done.
22) Get amber ring fixed - Not done yet, but I have now two amber rings to fix.
23) Finish a Wii game - Not done yet, but I keep working on Dance Dance Revolution.
24) Finish Pikmin 2 - Not done yet, but I better pick up the pace since Pikmin 3 is in development.
25) Finish a DS game - Brain Age made me brilliant
26) Go through living room closet/organize/dispose - Totally and satifyingly done.
27) Try a new recipe every month - Ongoing completion. I don't know officially which was this month's recipe, so I'm going to say Bloody Mary Bread, which was surprisingly good.
28) Finish DK Junglebeat - Nope, although I talked about it this weekend.
29) Get through a Guitar Hero song on Expert - When You Were Young
30) Get Wii Fit and use it - I love the Wii Fit. I was getting up early and doing a half hour for a while. Then we sent the Wii to get repaired and I started sleeping later. Then I decided the 45-50 minutes of Dance Dance Revolution should be enough, but in the end, I know I'll be getting up early again to use it. I do continue to use it for my weigh ins and take the balance tests.
31) Go to eye doctor - Nice lady.
32) Get new glasses - so cool.
33) Get a Dr. Hauschka mask and use it - Time to do it again.
34) Find and buy jeans that fit well - I haven't even tried. Once it gets cooler, this will become more of a priority.
35) Buy a good black turtleneck - Also a cooler weather endeavour
36) Get a bra fitting - A great day.
37) Make something with a piece of fabric I already own - Talk about Project Runway being an inspiration. I haven't quite figured out what to do yet, but I will be on my way with this soon. It may not be a piece of clothing in the end, but if I am successful, I will probably want to branch out.
38) Go through and organize jewelry - Stalled out.
39) Sell/Try to sell something I've made - I don't know what to try to sell. I'm still strategizing.
40) Finish at least 4 of the cross-stitch kits that I have - Reading and knitting and the desire to translate are distracting my creative powers right now.
41) Make 1000 cranes - I'm in the process of stringing them up together for good luck.
42) Make and post a product for my website - Strategizing still
43) Buy beeswax candles - These are surprisingly expensive. I've decided to use up the candles I have first, which will take a little time.
44) Go to a fair - I went shack dining this weekend and discussed fair food with my shack dining companions as we drove by the fairground. I believe this will be achieved in October.
45) Invite someone to my house every month - This is ongoing, but I think this month I might not have invited anyone. Last month I did. 
46) Clean out front room closet - I just added something to the closet.
47) Clean out file cabinet - Soon to be done.
48) Try to print my own photos on printer - After upgrading my operating system, I don't even have my printer attached right now.
49) Organize/Store files sitting under desk - One of three boxes sorted- leading to a huge pile of postcards on my desk that I want to scan.
50) Clean out desk drawers - done! This was a great moment and I don't know why it took so long.
51) Integrate Tim's music into mine - now when we are in the car, he puts his music on the iPod. Sometimes a blessing, sometimes a curse :)
52) Import DVDs into computer- Nope.
53) Look into new harddrive/backup configuration - My OS upgrade is the first step in this. I suppose if all I had to do was "look into" the backup, this is done. I have made my decisions and will proceed as decided.
54) Get Looney Tunes on my iPod - Although this would facilitate my viewing of Looney Tunes, I haven't done it.
55) Catch up on podcasts - This has been fun. I really enjoy listening to these on my daily commute. Bill Moyers, Harry Shearer and Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me! are great. I still have more to catch up on, but I am making progress.
56) Set up folders for iPod in iTunes and organize updating/synching - I think this is basically done, but will hold off on checking it off until I catch up on one particular podcast.
57) Post to website every month - Please ignore this for now.
58) Fix guestbook on website - and by fixing, I mean eliminate it and its horrible capacity to attract spammers.
59) Choose color scheme for website - done, but the website is not fully compliant.
60) Make booklists on website nicer looking - done- I'm sure there is more improvement possible, but there you go.
61) Decide on other domain name: parked domain or new site and set it up - It is the setup part that still needs to be done
62) Get a full first draft of translation - I am feeling greater and greater pressure from within on this. I really want to get more done: I just need to figure out where to take the time from.
63) Figure out camera settings for indoor group pictures - Seriously, I think on my camera I only have one option, but I'll still look for some help eventually.
64) Find something red to wear for rat year - My rat year is obviously stinky because I did not find my mitigating red object. What to do? I guess that last few months could still be good for me- so I will find something.
65) Figure out what to do with earrings I don't wear - I'm thinking bracelet, but haven't actually looked at what I have to work with yet.
66) Read travel book by Achim von Arnim - Gutenberg Projekt, here I come.
67) Go to geek knitting meeting - This one needs to be re-written since the geek knitting doesn't happen. I'll find another comparable event.
68) Evaluate usefulness of Seashore program - With the upgrade, I wiped this out. In short, it means find a real graphic program. 
69) Create calendar or something to share my pictures - I made little cards out of some pictures. I like them. Some other people like them, too. It was an experiment and I learned through it. I have other ideas now, too.
70) Finish scanning old paper photos - That is part of cleaning out files under the table. Fingers crossed, will be done by the end of this year.
71) Join a guild - Still not sure what to join- my interests bounce around too much. Maybe if I didn't have so many interests this would be easier, but I find lots of things interesting. I can do this and I'll make the decision soon.
72) Get a backup made of my digital/digitized photos - Not done yet.
73) Start to learn a new language - I'm checking out fall classes and haven't made a full decision on what to do yet. Easy, cute language or harder, cute language?
74) Find a Spanish reader and read it- Turns out I have one in the house I never read. 
75) Learn at least 250 kanji - No advancement yet.
76) Read one of the Polish books at home - No advancement yet, although I pulled out a bunch of learning materials and plan on doing some good review.
77) Read through/finish Vietnamese textbook - No advancement yet.
78) Compliment a total stranger - Have I done this? Maybe? I won't count it until I make the conscious effort.
79) Try a new restaurant in downtown Boston - done.
80) Go to NYC - done.
81) See a musical - done (but not in NYC)
82) Buy a friend lunch when it isn't their birthday - I'm looking for the right opportunity, since some people have just said no and given me money. Sometimes people don't understand why someone might want to be nice, I guess.
83) Have a day where I fully live: "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all." - Maybe on a vacation day? If I don't remember it, I don't think I can count it.
84) Translate my resume into German - I have my book explaining how a CV should look right next to me. In the next two days, this should be done- perhaps.
85) Take someone on my favorite downtown walk - Some of the things on my walk have changed, so there will be little alterations, but still, someone will go with me.
86) Write letters to three people letting them know how special they are - I'm counting my address confirmation and the letters I am sending as a tiny step to this. I haven't really done it yet, but I have been doing warm up exercises, let's say
87) Set up an ebay account to see that sanrio item - Not yet.
88) Finish a first draft of a creative writing project - I had a story from my life that I had written out before. I sent this to Tim to read, but told him since it was personal that I wasn't sure I wanted to hear anything (in particular, anything critical). This first sharing has motivated me to move on with another story I have, but haven't taken the time to work on since the computer upgrade and trying to get all my files in line.
89) Pay off Citibank card and cancel it - so happy.
90) Spend no money for 4 days straight - I found I didn't take any money out of my account for at least 7 days, but I was buying lunch during that time and some iced coffee, too. I was feeling pretty great about that as a time of not being a hardcore consumer, but it all still counts.
91) Eat at No 9 Park - This place is closing, I hear, so I'll need to do this soon.
92) Eat at Aujord'hui - Not yet.
93) Figure out how I will convert to digital TV - No real plan for this.
94) Bind a book - Nope.
95) Make/Attempt to make all the box patterns in that origami book - Another nope.
96) Make the cherry blossom origami that was the reason I got that other origami book - Thrice nope.
97) Save for/Plan/or Actually take a trip to the Pacific Northwest - This is postponed for now until the whole car things is more under control- or I win the lottery. You gotta play to win.
98) Meet Wendy's children - Plans are for her to move to this side of the country next year. I can't wait for them to be closer.
99) Try to learn a song on the harmonica - No harmonica in my possession at this writing.
100) Learn 5 chords on the guitar and be able to switch between them all well - Still a "to do" item.

August Round Up

1-Pay off my car: Still in progress and will be for a while

2-Pay off the rest of my credit card debt: At the rate I am going, I will be debt free by Christmas! Yay me!

3-Create a budget: Still too free spirited for a complete budget, but there is still time

4-Lose weight: I have lost 15 pound since June, but am far from done

5-Join a gym & set up an exercise program: Joined the new LA Fitness down the street today. I have an appointment with a trainer on Tuesday

6-Collaborate with someone on a creative project: DONE, though this still feels like an ongoing goal for me.

7-Exercise at least 3x a week: I had been going walking daily until I sprained my ankle/hurt something in my foot last weekend. It is starting to get better, so I think I will soon be back on track.

8-Make an appointment with a personal trainer: DONE - we are meeting on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

9-Make a quilt: No progress, but I've thought about it. I STILL have pieces all cut out (not a great accomplishment - they've been cut out for over a year!), but have yet to sew anything together. I also remembered I have the makings of a second quilt, becuase a friend gave me a bunch of pieces she had cut, then decided not to put together.

10-Complete January blogstravaganza: DONE. I did try posting once a day for the month of January, howevever it did not quite pan out. I did, however, write just about every day, so from that standpoint it was a success. I'm going to call this one good, since the point was really to write something every day. I am working out a new writing goal in my head that involves taking it all a little more seriously. I really don't treat it like something I care about.

11-Write 12 short stories, essays or poems in the next year (I.e. 1/month): This goal has not quite worked out as I planned it. I almost think that it would have been better just say write X every day/week. I did write a poem the other day, though. I met a new friend who has really inspired me to work harder at writing and stop treating it like something that doesn't matter to me, to create a zone that makes it ok for it to suck since I didn't work that hard at it anyway. I need to set some goals that will help me with that. For now, I will continue with the list (or link to) of pieces I've written even though it doesn't really cover everythin i've been working on. I write something most days, so I'm not sure how to distinguish other than to say that it must be a purposeful, finished piece. So, here is what I have thusefar: 1. I did write a piece I rather like about family back in January; 2. I wrote a poem based on a writing prompt from my friend Wendy; 3. Am working on a poem/short prose thing right now and also an essay.

12-Finish the first draft of my mystery novel: No real progress, but I did finally find all my plot and character notes that had been lost.

13-Learn another language: Still stuck at the same place I was last month.

14-Take a class

15-Join/start a writing group or take a writing class: Done, but ongoing, so I hesitate to mark it off the list. Technically, I did do what I set out to, though. I started working my way through The Artist's Way and have been posting the exercises that don't get too personal here. My writing duo and I exchanged pieces about a month ago, then petered out. We need to repurpose what we're doing. Something about it wasn't working. I think I need more structure. I have also been working through some writing prompts from Wendy on her livejournal community - Spirit Writes. It has been a lot of fun, because it has prompted me to write about some topics I normally wouldn't choose on my own.

16-Make something with my own hands once a month (craft project):Jan - ?, Feb - ?, March - ?, April - collage, May: ?, June: ?, July: ?, August - ?

17-Join a choir or that music thingy from the "Keep PDX Weird" event: I have not done this, but I have found a friend who wants to join me in playing some violin duets/possibly get together a group to play chamber music.

18-Learn 12 new songs on my violin in the next year (I.e. 1/month): In preparation for duet playing, I have begun to practice regularly again. Right now I am still polishing last month's Seitz Conerto and have added a couple more along with some Vivaldi.

19-Get my bow rehaired: Still need to do this.

20-Clean out/organize my books: Put a few more books in the Goodwill box, but I really haven't done much more with this since last month

21-Make curtains for my bedroom

22-Go for a walk in a new park/trail at least once a month. April - went for a walk in Wilsonville where I work. May - Nowhere new. June - Went for a walk at a botanical garden at the beach. July - No parks, just daily walks around the neighborhood where I work. August - Still need to do this

23-Learn about wine

24-Try a new recipe once a month: Jan 08: Thai Pizza; Feb 08: West African Ground Nut Stew; Carribbean Black Beans with Orange Juice and Candied Ginger; March 08: Ziti with Sundried Tomato Cream, Plaintains with Apples and Sweet Potatoes, Tangy Orange Salad Dressing; April 08: Vegetarian Carne Guisada; May08: Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies (from Apples for Jam- I am sad to report that I really did not like them). Penne with Shrimp, Cream and Tomatoes (also from Apples for Jam and DELICIOUS!); June 08: Mushroom Marinara sauce from Posie Gets Cozy website (so good!); July 08: Mole Enchiladas; August 08: Tomorrow I am making an Eggplant Lasagna

25 - Invite friends over for dinner once a month: Jan 08: Jenny & Jesus; Feb 08: - ; March 08: Paula (kinda - we ended up eating out); Jen, Becky, Nancy, Jenny, Dejadira; Ruth, Jala, DeEtte; April 08: Jenny, DeJadira, Antonio; May 08: I am sure we had someone over, but for the life of me, I cannot remember who it was; June 08: Jenny & kids; July 08: Apala; August 08: Jen & Becky (picnic in the park, but I provided the food, so it counts!)

26-Try a new restaurant once a month: Jan 08: Jim Dandy; Feb 08: Van Hanh; Mexican Restaurant on 122nd...can't remember the name, but it was good; March 08: Mexican Restaurant by work - can't remember the name, but it's by the Thai restaurant (like that tells anyone but me anything!); April 08: - the vegan café next to my mom's chiropractor's office in Milwaukie (I know - again with the great record keeping!) May 08: Sweet Pea Baking Company (vegan and they have the yummiest peanutbutter bars!; June 08: El Tapatio (both the one on 82nd Ave in PDX AND the one in Coquille, OR), The Sea Hag (Depoe Bay, OR); the Doogers in Seaside (I've already eaten at the one in Cannon Beach); July 08: El Pollo Loco in Gresham; August 08: not yet, but I want to try the new Morrocan place by work

27-Make Stollen: This probably won't happen until a little closer to Christmas, but I look forward to having some filled with marzipan and rum soaked raisins as soon as possible.

28-Once a month, pick someone and buy them a gift/do something to make them happy for no reason at all: Jan 08 no one; Feb 08 - sent flowers to my mom; March 08 - Cadbury eggs for Mary (b/c they're her favorite and she was having a bad day); April 08 - bought my mom a lily, also have something for Jen that I can not yet reveal, because I have yet to send it; May 08 - Bought my mom a sparkly silver tote, because she liked my gold disco bag; June 08 - While on vacation bought Deja and Antonio various souvenirs and also sprung for the $25 deluxe dune buggy ride instead of the $12 craptacular one; July 08 - stuff for Jen (though it was for her birthday); August 08 - Tickets for Phantom of the Opera for my mom

29-Moisturize every day: I have actually been doing MUCH better about this. I have found this really great one from Wei East called Youth Recaptured that leaves my skin looking so nice. Boots' No. 7 also has a good moisturizing serum that I've been using this week since my Wei East ran out.

30-Organize my recipes: No new progress since last month

31-Study a new Tarot card each month: This SO has not happened, but I did do a couple of readings for myself in August

32-Go on a real vacation: DONE! Spent 3 days in Eastern Washington in May and went on a week long vacation to the coast in August. I also have some time off in September, but I don't think I'll be going anywhere big.

33-Resume Wednesday activity schedule with Jen. Check! BUT we fell out of the habit again. We went to go see The Princess Bride at Portland Parks summer movie series tonight, so hopefully we will get back on track soon

34-Spend a month as a vegetarian - Completed Feb08

35-Play my guitar more than once a year

36-Cut my diet coke consumption down to 1 a day (or better - none a day): I'm down to 1 or 2 (usually 2), so I'm not marking this off yet, but i'm getting better

37-Sign up for organic grocery delivery or foodshare

38-Study a new artist/composer each month: So far not much progress, though I did forget that I read up a bit on Sofonisba Anguissola a bit back in January.

39-Go to a concert/play once a month: Jan 08: The Devil and Daniel Webster; Feb 08: Sweet Honey in the Rock; March 08: Corteo, Ladysmith Black Mambazo; April 08: Nothing yet. May: None; June 08: Nothing yet; July 08: nada; August 08: The Phantom of the Opera

40-Go to the Shakespeare festival in Ashland.

41-Host a summer barbeque. I had one all planned, then the dog had to have surgery, so I never sent out the invitations. Maybe when I'm off after ext week

42-Plan a trip to Europe

43-Renew my passport

44-Go through and get rid of CD's that need to be released into the wild

45-Go on another retreat: I have some time coming, but I don't think I'm going to have the money to do anything to big. I'll work out a way to have some alone time, though.

46-Visit the Oregon Trail museums I haven't yet visited: I really need to find out what these are. So far I have been to the End of the Oregon Trail Museum in Oregon City, Tamastslikt in Pendleton, and the Oregon Trail Museum in Baker City.

47-Read a poem each week: I read poetry, I'm not sure if it's once a week, though.

48-Read something in another language each week

49-Visit the East Coast

50-Write a handwritten letter to someone once a month

51-Meet a friend for coffee/drinks/whatever once a month. No real changes. Really, the point of making this a goal was that I found myself feeling kind of hermit-like at the beginning of the year and turning down a lot of invitations I should have accepted. This does not seem to be a problem anymore. I think I smell an empty spot for a new goal.

52-Regularly deposit money into savings. Clearly I have budgeting issues. I've mostly just thought about this.

53-Take control of my 401k investments by taking a class/reading a book on investing: My 401k is actually changing in October. I really need to get on this.

54-Call or e-mail friends at least once a week. Haven't really been keeping track, but I think this works out. Setting this goal was a companion to #51. Things are just different from the way they were when I set these goals. I'm feeling more connected again, but I do need to be bettre about setting aside some time each day to check in with people, so I don't go months without any contact.

55-Finish the photo wall

56-Take (or procure) a flattering picture of each of my friends for the wall. I've been taking a lot of pictures.

57-Attend a pow-wow

58-Make a dress

59-Clean out my closet (clothes AND shoes)

60-Buy new underthings and get rid of the old: I am not the proud owner of 3 new bras, but I want to get some more. I also purchased myself some new panties. I need to take some time and go through the drawer and trash the old stuff, though.

61-Clean out the garage

62-Attend a pagan festival (Beltaine and/or some other)

63-Update my birthday list. Do I even HAVE a birthday list? I mean really, all in one place? I don't think so. Maybe I need to CREATE a birthday list.

64-Take pictures at events, gatherings, etc.

5-Go to the beach once a month in the sunny months: June - check! July - :-(, August - :-(

66-Visit Leavenworth: DONE - completed May 08

67-Paint my bedroom: It is not yet complete, but I am working on it.

68-Pull up the carpet in my bedroom: After the painting's done

69-Paint the deck: This could be a project for my week off

70-Paint the front porch This could be a project for my week off

71-Go on a road trip during the summer. Done (June 08) and I want to take more!!!

72-Use my Entertainment book regularly, keep track of the savings & put them in a fun money jar

73-Buy and TAKE a daily vitamin Purchased in Feb and have been taking it sporradically (though I have gotten better since I started taking Alli)

74-Learn to knit

75-Go camping. Done! As of last week I have spent time in both a state park yurt and a cabin at a KOA campground!

76-Get and update a new address book

77-Learn enough about photography to make my good pictures more than happy accidents: Checked out a book on digital photography from the library

78-Go to a reading or lecture at least once a month

79-Participate in NaNoWriMo for real and following their rules

80-Join Amnesty International

81-Join The Humane Society (or some other animal organization)

82-Learn to make an origami crane

83-Run the whole way around the track

84-Go on December pilgrimage with Jenny R. and her family

85-Write something (journal, blog, whatever) every day In progress - If I've not written EVERY day, I've definitely done so ALMOST that often.

86-Buy a new ring as a reminder: Done. Bought butterfly ring in Jan 08

87-Get a manicure

88-Treat myself to a spa day

89-Create an enticing reward system for every 10 pounds: I think my "system" may simply be that I get to make a frivolous purchase for every 10 lost. The first 10 was a Jason Mraz cd. I have a few more before I get to buy the next one, but I'm thinking it may be the final season of Buffy.

90-Get tickets for my mom to be able to see Cirque du Soleil: DONE - saw Corteo with my mom on March 11

91-Read the Bible, Koran, Baghavad Gita

92-Buy a pair of comfortable athletic shoes - DONE. Bought some really nice black and turqoise Avia running shoes on my way home today

93-Visit a Buddhist temple

94-Learn yoga/take an exercise class: Yoga is on the schedule at my new gym. They also have a Latin Impact class that looks intriguing

95-Plant a vegetable/herb garden

96-Make preserves

97-Research and make a list of fun summer festival outings- In progress - I am still using the lovely Gustav Klimt datebook my friend Lorin got me for Christmas to record them

98-Make stepping stones for the garden. I have this scheme in my head wherein I invite my friends over for a crafty stone making extravaganza and then use their completed stones to pave the garden path. That way, whenever I am strolling along I will look down and think of them!

99-Go berry picking on Sauvie Island

100-Buy fresh cherries from the fruit loop when they are in season: DONE - kinda...It's too late to do mucha bout it this year and I did get my fresh, local cherries, which was the point. I did not do this from the fruit loop, however I did buy local fresh cherries here in town and bought some peaches from the orchards near Maryhill when I was there a week or so ago.

101-Plan something fabulous for my birthday this year. Done. Invited a bunch of girlfriends over for a vegetarian feast with not one, but two cakes. How did I get two cakes? Well, you see I went to this bake sale to benefit the women detained in last summer's Del Monte raids. One of the women there was a baker, and we bought one of her cakes. As we were talking to another friend, I thought "Why not order a cake from her for my birthday instead of giving money to Lamb's bakery?" So, I immediately went back and asked her if she would do it. She was happy to.The thing is that when I got home with the original non-birthday cake, I found that the frosting tasted oddly lardy. I didn't want lard cake for my party. Who does? Getting old is bad enough, getting old with only a lard cake for succor does not help ANYTHING! So, I called Lamb's and ordered a mocha cake filled with raspberry and decorated with lovely spring flowers. But, of course, I would have felt too guilty cancelling my original order, so I didn't. It's not like you can call a sweet Mexican lady who is worried about deportation and whether she'll be able to afford plane tickets to take her American citizen children with her and tell her that her cake is lardy and strange, so I decided to just suck it up. The whole point from the beginning was to help her out in a way that wouldn't make her feel like it was charity. The cake was just a side benefit, but not really the point, anyway. So, that's how I ended up with a cake from her AND my Lamb's cake. But that's not where the story ends. The story ends beautifully (and with the birthday miracle of a surplus of cake, which is again beautiful!), because her birthday cake was not lardy at all but light and airy with strawberries and creamy, delicious frosting. Apparently all that stuff about karma is true!

Goal 30 Completed

Goal 30 (get wii fit and use it) was harder to achieve than I had expected. Sure, I knew Nintendo was doing their biggest marketing campaign ever for Wii Fit. I even saw all the TVs in Toys R Us playing the instructional video about it. Yet, I didn't plan ahead. Then I read that the UK was running out of them. Still, I believed I would have no problems. Then the day came that I wanted to buy it and couldn't.

I called stores periodically and checked when I was near a store I figured carried it. It wasn't until a friend/co-worker called me at home on a vacation day that I knew of a place that actually had them. Yes, I saw the work number and actually picked up the phone on a vacation day and it paid off. I hadn't even changed out of my pajamas when news hit and I flew out of the house within 5 minutes of confirming with the store.

In short, I do like it. Tracking your Wii Fit age is a little random, but amusing. It is partially based on your ability to remain still perfectly balanced. Some days are just better than others. The workout has made me sweat at times. The yoga is good and there is one position in particular that seems to hit the tight muscles in my shoulder and back just right. The strength training exercises are also good. I turned to Tim and admitted that I was sore from playing a video game. The aerobics is good for the morning since it isn't super strenuous and the balance games are just fun- especially the skiing. Having some kind of check on whether I am doing things right or not (i.e. center of balance tracking) does have some real appeal. What I also learned is that my bathroom scale is horribly off.

I had my suspicions about this scale in spite of its guarantee of accuracy. For some reason it would get stuck on exactly the same weight for a couple days in a row. Let's create a fictional weight and say it weighed in at 1F5.0. It would stay at that exact weight, including the tenth, for more than one day. Then it would drop, let's say to 1F3.6 and stay there. And then bounce up to 1F8.8. Always the same tenths with the same the weight. No small incremental changes either. That didn't seem likely. Now, in the end, I don't have a guarantee that the Balance Board is any better than the scale, but for the first week I used it, I dropped steadily if not dramatically. I bounced up in the past day or two for weekend eating (a little heavier than my weekday meals had been) and a cyclical weight gain I wouldn't be able to avoid. My weight did change daily, which seems a lot more plausible than the scale.

Unfortunately, I need to take a break from my training and send the wii away for repairs. It's been making some noises from the drive and before it goes totally kaplooey, it should get fixed. That means I won't be able to confirm how close I got to my first 2 week goal, but I look forward to picking it up again once the wii is returned. I've heard that weighing in daily is a bad idea since the body can fluctuate so much in day- but I found it to be a good reminder in the morning to watch what I eat and what I do. 

I'm marking this goal off a little prematurely since I didn't reach the end of my first 2 weeks to see how well it went in total, but I am encouraged enough to know that I will definitely keep using it once the wii is safely back in my possession. This will hopefully get me closer to completing my goal of losing at least 20 pounds that also stands uncompleted so far.