I'm just going to summarize real quick that I didn't do anything for my thesis -- no cooking, no reading, no working out even -- because I was slammed with schoolwork from 8 am to midnight, Monday through Saturday. That's right, Saturday.
But, a few things are in the works, including WEJ's bumper, my PostSecret, the hiking, and perhaps the sunrise. So I should have good things to report either at the end of this week, or at the very least, at the one-year mark (which is March 14th, i.e. two weeks from now... ah!). Time is flying by.
-- Till next time.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
A less-than-productive week.
8. Read 50 books (30/50) - in progress
I read "Wise Guy: Life In A Mafia Family" this week for my film adaptations class. The book was the basis for the movie "Goodfellas," which we'll start watching on Thursday. It was a much quicker read than either One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or Frankenstein, which was nice. It also interested me in that kind of lifestyle. I tried to watch the Godfather last Sunday because it was on AMC, but I decided I couldn't devote four hours of my life to such a slow-moving movie. But after reading this book, I really want to try watching the Godfather again.
So, other than that, I didn't do anything. I didn't work out, not even once. Sunday I didn't make time for it in between schoolwork & things, although I could have. Monday I was on campus till 10 pm. Tuesday I napped. Wednesday was schoolwork. And then Thursday - Saturday I was at Tech. So I definitely could have made time both Sunday & Tuesday. Also didn't cook this past week, which is unusual for me. Oh well.
-- Till next time.
I read "Wise Guy: Life In A Mafia Family" this week for my film adaptations class. The book was the basis for the movie "Goodfellas," which we'll start watching on Thursday. It was a much quicker read than either One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or Frankenstein, which was nice. It also interested me in that kind of lifestyle. I tried to watch the Godfather last Sunday because it was on AMC, but I decided I couldn't devote four hours of my life to such a slow-moving movie. But after reading this book, I really want to try watching the Godfather again.
So, other than that, I didn't do anything. I didn't work out, not even once. Sunday I didn't make time for it in between schoolwork & things, although I could have. Monday I was on campus till 10 pm. Tuesday I napped. Wednesday was schoolwork. And then Thursday - Saturday I was at Tech. So I definitely could have made time both Sunday & Tuesday. Also didn't cook this past week, which is unusual for me. Oh well.
-- Till next time.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Valentine's Day...
3. Complete a 26 Things Challenge - in progress
I went out on Friday with my friend Kelly to do the "10 minutes away" part of the challenge, which really turned into an hour and a half of exploring & being silly. I put a few images on Flickr, but I'll wait till I'm done with the challenge to label them with specific numbers.
7. Watch all movies on AFI's top 100 (24/100) - in progress
So I forgot to mention this last week when I finished watching "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," but I did finish it. In the interests of honesty, I had rented it through Netflix... I want to say two summers ago, but that can't be right because it was since I began the 101. In any case, I was not interested in the movie at all, and I remember almost none of it. But I watched it in my film adaptations class this past week after we finished discussing the novel, and I liked it a lot. I liked the book better, but I feel like that's pretty standard.
12. Keep Flickr updated - in progress
I posted the pictures I took Friday. They're mostly of our expedition to find Camp Overlook & the Brethren Woods. We succeeded, by the way, after encountering some suspicious people and one particularly strange poultry truck. I really enjoyed taking out my camera. I had some trouble editing the images in Photoshop -- I think my CS2 has seen better days -- so I ended up downloading a free application called Gimp. Then after I uploaded the images, I went back and looked at the images I uploaded this past spring from Charleston and Savannah and got overly nostalgic for the few weeks I spent in South Carolina. Anyways, here's the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chainse/
14. Do a creative writing prompt once a week (13/52) - in progress
I found a sister site to the creative writing prompts that has a lot of journaling prompts, which I think I like a lot better than the site I originally bookmarked. This week, I wrote about the first thing I think of when I wake up -- which, by the way, is what time is it, and can I sleep longer.
25. Learn to cook 52 recipes and organize them in one place (25/52) - in progress
I made paprika chicken & dumplings on Monday, which were pretty good in my opinion. Next time I might try adding vegetables, but I was pretty proud of myself because I've never made a recipe like this. I also would cook the dumplings for longer. The recipe said to boil them until no longer doughy, but didn't give an estimate for when that would be. And in my mind, dumplings are inherently doughy, so I wasn't really sure what I was doing. They tasted fine the first night, but when I had the leftovers it was like eating raw biscuits -- not so tasty. A half success, perhaps.
37. Own a plant for at least a year without killing it - in progress
My plant turned six months old on Saturday, the 13th. Well, he's technically older than that, but as of Saturday, he's been in my custody for six months. He's doing OK -- still alive, in any case. My mom sent me an article recently about how to get orchids to bloom though, and I think I need to buy some fertilizer. Perhaps that will be my goal for the remaining six months, to get the orchid to bloom again. It had very pretty yellow flowers... two years ago.
56. Exercise 2-3 times a week (24/143) - in progress
So, it just so happens that when you get walloped with 20/+ inches of snow in one week, there's a lot of work to bail out your car. And your roommate's car. And your second roommate's car. We originally only had two trash cans to work with, but some nice neighbors offered their help & three shovels. So after 90 minutes on Monday and another hour on Wednesday, we were all able to leave our apartment complex. I read somewhere that shoveling in the winter is one of the greatest causes of heart attacks because people aren't used to such intense activity, and I laughed. But after this week -- my back was wrecked. I know exactly what the article meant.
-- Till next time
I went out on Friday with my friend Kelly to do the "10 minutes away" part of the challenge, which really turned into an hour and a half of exploring & being silly. I put a few images on Flickr, but I'll wait till I'm done with the challenge to label them with specific numbers.
7. Watch all movies on AFI's top 100 (24/100) - in progress
So I forgot to mention this last week when I finished watching "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," but I did finish it. In the interests of honesty, I had rented it through Netflix... I want to say two summers ago, but that can't be right because it was since I began the 101. In any case, I was not interested in the movie at all, and I remember almost none of it. But I watched it in my film adaptations class this past week after we finished discussing the novel, and I liked it a lot. I liked the book better, but I feel like that's pretty standard.
12. Keep Flickr updated - in progress
I posted the pictures I took Friday. They're mostly of our expedition to find Camp Overlook & the Brethren Woods. We succeeded, by the way, after encountering some suspicious people and one particularly strange poultry truck. I really enjoyed taking out my camera. I had some trouble editing the images in Photoshop -- I think my CS2 has seen better days -- so I ended up downloading a free application called Gimp. Then after I uploaded the images, I went back and looked at the images I uploaded this past spring from Charleston and Savannah and got overly nostalgic for the few weeks I spent in South Carolina. Anyways, here's the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chainse/
14. Do a creative writing prompt once a week (13/52) - in progress
I found a sister site to the creative writing prompts that has a lot of journaling prompts, which I think I like a lot better than the site I originally bookmarked. This week, I wrote about the first thing I think of when I wake up -- which, by the way, is what time is it, and can I sleep longer.
25. Learn to cook 52 recipes and organize them in one place (25/52) - in progress
I made paprika chicken & dumplings on Monday, which were pretty good in my opinion. Next time I might try adding vegetables, but I was pretty proud of myself because I've never made a recipe like this. I also would cook the dumplings for longer. The recipe said to boil them until no longer doughy, but didn't give an estimate for when that would be. And in my mind, dumplings are inherently doughy, so I wasn't really sure what I was doing. They tasted fine the first night, but when I had the leftovers it was like eating raw biscuits -- not so tasty. A half success, perhaps.
37. Own a plant for at least a year without killing it - in progress
My plant turned six months old on Saturday, the 13th. Well, he's technically older than that, but as of Saturday, he's been in my custody for six months. He's doing OK -- still alive, in any case. My mom sent me an article recently about how to get orchids to bloom though, and I think I need to buy some fertilizer. Perhaps that will be my goal for the remaining six months, to get the orchid to bloom again. It had very pretty yellow flowers... two years ago.
56. Exercise 2-3 times a week (24/143) - in progress
So, it just so happens that when you get walloped with 20/+ inches of snow in one week, there's a lot of work to bail out your car. And your roommate's car. And your second roommate's car. We originally only had two trash cans to work with, but some nice neighbors offered their help & three shovels. So after 90 minutes on Monday and another hour on Wednesday, we were all able to leave our apartment complex. I read somewhere that shoveling in the winter is one of the greatest causes of heart attacks because people aren't used to such intense activity, and I laughed. But after this week -- my back was wrecked. I know exactly what the article meant.
-- Till next time
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Snowstorm.
25. Learn to cook 52 new recipes and organize them in one place (24/52) - in progress
So I hate ripe bananas. In fact, I prefer my bananas almost entirely green. It's really because I hate banana flavor -- banana pancakes, banana ice cream. Banana bread is OK. On a partially related note, sometimes when I bring home bananas from campus, they get forgotten in my backpack. I found a banana on Thursday in my purse that I had forgotten about from dinner on campus Wednesday. These bananas are typically bruised from coming into contact with the other inhabitants of my backpack or purse, and I thereby cannot eat them, because they are ripe & taste like bananas. But you can't just throw away three bananas, so I made banana muffins yesterday. Surprisingly, they were delicious. So maybe I'll rethink that ripe banana thing.
I also made my own dressing last night, which was a recipe from my aunt. It was simple -- olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt & pepper. It also technically didn't involve any cooking, which is why I didn't include it in the recipe count.
56. Exercise 2-3 times a week (23/143) - in progress
Didn't make it this week, and I'm not even sure I remember why not. Sunday I was in deadline 10 am - 8 pm... Monday was school & Bluestone, Tuesday I was just lazy, Wednesday was school, Thursday was school, and then Friday & Saturday, I was lazy. Maybe that will help me, to take note of the days I don't work out & why. I had three solid opportunities to be active this week, and I chose to be lazy instead.
That's it for the week, I suppose. I hope to take my camera out next weekend & do some of the 26 Things Challenge. And I'm close to mailing out my PostSecret too -- I found the image & I know what I want to say, I just need to put it together & mail it.
-- Till next time.
So I hate ripe bananas. In fact, I prefer my bananas almost entirely green. It's really because I hate banana flavor -- banana pancakes, banana ice cream. Banana bread is OK. On a partially related note, sometimes when I bring home bananas from campus, they get forgotten in my backpack. I found a banana on Thursday in my purse that I had forgotten about from dinner on campus Wednesday. These bananas are typically bruised from coming into contact with the other inhabitants of my backpack or purse, and I thereby cannot eat them, because they are ripe & taste like bananas. But you can't just throw away three bananas, so I made banana muffins yesterday. Surprisingly, they were delicious. So maybe I'll rethink that ripe banana thing.
I also made my own dressing last night, which was a recipe from my aunt. It was simple -- olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt & pepper. It also technically didn't involve any cooking, which is why I didn't include it in the recipe count.
56. Exercise 2-3 times a week (23/143) - in progress
Didn't make it this week, and I'm not even sure I remember why not. Sunday I was in deadline 10 am - 8 pm... Monday was school & Bluestone, Tuesday I was just lazy, Wednesday was school, Thursday was school, and then Friday & Saturday, I was lazy. Maybe that will help me, to take note of the days I don't work out & why. I had three solid opportunities to be active this week, and I chose to be lazy instead.
That's it for the week, I suppose. I hope to take my camera out next weekend & do some of the 26 Things Challenge. And I'm close to mailing out my PostSecret too -- I found the image & I know what I want to say, I just need to put it together & mail it.
-- Till next time.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Busiest week ever.
Also known as: I didn't do much for the 101 this week.
3. Complete a 26 things challenge - in progress
My friend Kelly is trying to get me to do the February challenge, and despite everything else that is going on I think I might as well give it a go. I keep putting it off for when I have more "time." But let's be serious, I never have time. So here's the February list:
1. Structure
2. Follow
3. Covet
4. Triple
5. Hands
6. Eye
7. Fancy
8. Time
9. Rainbow
10. Sadness
11. Stack
12. Line up
13. Wheels
14. An insect
15. Into the air
16. Direction
17. New
18. Half
19. Set up
20. 10 minutes away
21. In my mailbox
22. Sometimes
23. Bottle
24. Behind the scenes
25. Corner
26. A door
I mean. Most of it sounds like it will be fun, and maybe I'll take my camera out & explore Hburg a little bit for the challenge. The only question I have is "insect." Really people? It's February. I do not see many insects buzzing around in the dead of winter.
8. Read 50 books (29/30) - in progress
I read "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next" this week for my film adaptations class. It was really difficult for me to get into -- it took me two hours to read the first 60 pages. But as it picked up and I got more used to the narration, I liked it a lot. Definitely not something I would have read on my own, but I did enjoy it.
25. Learn to cook 52 recipes and organize them in one place (23/52) - in progress
I made lasagna on Wednesday night, a broccoli and cheese combination. It was quick to prepare (and then an hour in the oven), and it smelled really good. But the ricotta cheese was a little gritty for me, and I'm not sure if that's how ricotta is, or if it was because I used part-skim, or neither. I mean, lasagna is lasagna, so it was still delicious. But not the best it could have been.
45. Keep a swear jar for two weeks - $0.25 per swear - accomplished
So I ended yesterday, and I counted 27 swears. Which I believe is probably inaccurate, because sometimes it really took a conscious effort to listen to myself speak. I typically curse without noticing it. Although, when I did pay attention, I noticed there are definitely certain people & certain situations when I swear more often. Oh well. $6.75 goes into my savings account.
56. Exercise 2-3 times a week (23/143) - in progress
So I did the treadmill on Sunday (ran for five minute intervals!), did yoga at home on Monday, did Step & Sculpt at UREC on Tuesday, and yoga at UREC on Wednesday. And walked to & from campus in the snow yesterday, which, by the way, is like walking through a sand dune.
66. Stop using plastic grocery bags - accomplished
I am going to go ahead & consider this done, because I've been pretty consistent the past few times I've gone to the grocery store. I just need to consciously remind myself that when I go to the grocery, I need a list & I need my bags.
-- Till next time.
3. Complete a 26 things challenge - in progress
My friend Kelly is trying to get me to do the February challenge, and despite everything else that is going on I think I might as well give it a go. I keep putting it off for when I have more "time." But let's be serious, I never have time. So here's the February list:
1. Structure
2. Follow
3. Covet
4. Triple
5. Hands
6. Eye
7. Fancy
8. Time
9. Rainbow
10. Sadness
11. Stack
12. Line up
13. Wheels
14. An insect
15. Into the air
16. Direction
17. New
18. Half
19. Set up
20. 10 minutes away
21. In my mailbox
22. Sometimes
23. Bottle
24. Behind the scenes
25. Corner
26. A door
I mean. Most of it sounds like it will be fun, and maybe I'll take my camera out & explore Hburg a little bit for the challenge. The only question I have is "insect." Really people? It's February. I do not see many insects buzzing around in the dead of winter.
8. Read 50 books (29/30) - in progress
I read "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next" this week for my film adaptations class. It was really difficult for me to get into -- it took me two hours to read the first 60 pages. But as it picked up and I got more used to the narration, I liked it a lot. Definitely not something I would have read on my own, but I did enjoy it.
25. Learn to cook 52 recipes and organize them in one place (23/52) - in progress
I made lasagna on Wednesday night, a broccoli and cheese combination. It was quick to prepare (and then an hour in the oven), and it smelled really good. But the ricotta cheese was a little gritty for me, and I'm not sure if that's how ricotta is, or if it was because I used part-skim, or neither. I mean, lasagna is lasagna, so it was still delicious. But not the best it could have been.
45. Keep a swear jar for two weeks - $0.25 per swear - accomplished
So I ended yesterday, and I counted 27 swears. Which I believe is probably inaccurate, because sometimes it really took a conscious effort to listen to myself speak. I typically curse without noticing it. Although, when I did pay attention, I noticed there are definitely certain people & certain situations when I swear more often. Oh well. $6.75 goes into my savings account.
56. Exercise 2-3 times a week (23/143) - in progress
So I did the treadmill on Sunday (ran for five minute intervals!), did yoga at home on Monday, did Step & Sculpt at UREC on Tuesday, and yoga at UREC on Wednesday. And walked to & from campus in the snow yesterday, which, by the way, is like walking through a sand dune.
66. Stop using plastic grocery bags - accomplished
I am going to go ahead & consider this done, because I've been pretty consistent the past few times I've gone to the grocery store. I just need to consciously remind myself that when I go to the grocery, I need a list & I need my bags.
-- Till next time.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Untitled?
I'm not a very original title creator, so there you have it.
8. Read 50 books (28/50) - in progress
I read "Code of the Woosters" by Wodehouse this week for my comedy fiction writing class. I don't think I would have picked it up myself, but it was a quick read and somewhat entertaining. A lot of the dialogue was funny, which I liked -- almost a sarcastic or ironic humor.
25. Learn to cook 52 recipes and organize them in one place (22/52) - in progress
I made fajitas yesterday, which are simple at heart but I really enjoy, and I liked following a recipe for them. Honestly, I love the meat / pepper / carb combination, whether it be in taco form or over rice. This recipe called for a bit of cumin, which I'm not sure I enjoyed so much, but it wasn't overpowering.
56. Exercise 2-3 times a week (22/143) - in progress
Accomplished again! I went to UREC with Amber on Monday and lifted weights & did the elliptical, and I was sore-city afterwards. I haven't done ab work in a while. Tuesday I did yoga at home, and then today I lifted & did the elliptical today in the Sunchase gym. I like to exercise, and I like to be sore, and this was a good week for that.
Progress on the swear jar -- I only have $0.75 worth at home, but I probably have about five dollars at the office. Guess that tells you what part of my life is more stressful.
-- Till next time.
8. Read 50 books (28/50) - in progress
I read "Code of the Woosters" by Wodehouse this week for my comedy fiction writing class. I don't think I would have picked it up myself, but it was a quick read and somewhat entertaining. A lot of the dialogue was funny, which I liked -- almost a sarcastic or ironic humor.
25. Learn to cook 52 recipes and organize them in one place (22/52) - in progress
I made fajitas yesterday, which are simple at heart but I really enjoy, and I liked following a recipe for them. Honestly, I love the meat / pepper / carb combination, whether it be in taco form or over rice. This recipe called for a bit of cumin, which I'm not sure I enjoyed so much, but it wasn't overpowering.
56. Exercise 2-3 times a week (22/143) - in progress
Accomplished again! I went to UREC with Amber on Monday and lifted weights & did the elliptical, and I was sore-city afterwards. I haven't done ab work in a while. Tuesday I did yoga at home, and then today I lifted & did the elliptical today in the Sunchase gym. I like to exercise, and I like to be sore, and this was a good week for that.
Progress on the swear jar -- I only have $0.75 worth at home, but I probably have about five dollars at the office. Guess that tells you what part of my life is more stressful.
-- Till next time.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The week I finally exercised.
7. Watch all movies on AFI's top 100 (23/100) - in progress
I watched Shawshank Redemption last Sunday, which I had started and not finished a few months ago... and by started I mean I think I only watched the opening credits or something. Not entirely sure what happened there. But I am really glad I chose to watch it this past week because it was incredible. I was drawn into the movie and shocked by the shocking parts and rooting for the main character and terrified for him when I thought he had killed himself. It was just a really well done movie and a well-told narrative. Morgan Freeman was great too. I think it's kind of cool that a movie I had no interest in seeing has easily become one of my favorites.
8. Read 50 books (27/50) - in progress
I just finished "The Help" this morning, which was an incredibly quick read. I'd only started it last night, and around 7:30 at that. I like books like that, ones that pull you along so you keep telling yourself you'll quit for the night on the next chapter and then forty pages later you realize you're still reading. I'd recommend this to anyone.
25. Learn to cook 52 new recipes and organize them in one place (21/52) - in progress
I made tacos on Thursday night, which I didn't use a recipe for but is nice to have in my repertoire. I thought I was being very clever too, by buying a block of cheese so I could cut it for cheese & crackers if I didn't use it all for taco toppings. I was too busy praising my intelligence to notice how close my hand was to the cheese grater (which I recently, and quite proudly, acquired). Cheese graters are fun until you accidentally grate half your knuckle off instead of the cheddar and bleed through two Band-Aids.
On Friday I made apricot chicken in the slow cooker. It was the first time I had used the slow cooker, but the cookbook I have keeps telling me the meat will be more tender if you put it on low rather than high, so I cooked the chicken for seven hours. Like the cookbook promised, it was incredible, and I liked the fact I kind of dumped everything in and then cooking the rice & broccoli at dinnertime only took ten minutes.
45. Keep a swear jar for two weeks at $0.25 per swear - in progress
I'm going to start this today, which means I'll end on Sunday, January 31st. Any swear I say out loud counts as a quarter, but I'm going to cut myself a break and not count swears that I think. Because let's be honest, telling yourself not to think something is a surefire way to start thinking about it all the time.
56. Exercise 2-3 times a week (21/143) - in progress
I was good this week -- treadmill on Monday, walked home & did yoga on Tuesday, walked home & lifted weights & did the elliptical on Wednesday, and walked home & did yoga on Thursday. I've noticed that I eat a lot better on the days that I exercise. I'll walk back over to the apartment from the gym & cut up an apple with peanut butter, or eat a banana & a handful of almonds. I also tend to drink a lot more water. But I'm still struggling with that balancing act of having no time to exercise, or so much time that I start being lazy and don't snap out of it. Still a work in progress.
93. Buy the basic spices for my kitchen - in progress
I thought this might have been done, but then I needed onion flakes & ginger for the apricot chicken, and I didn't have either. So I'm still missing a few, I guess.
-- Till next time.
I watched Shawshank Redemption last Sunday, which I had started and not finished a few months ago... and by started I mean I think I only watched the opening credits or something. Not entirely sure what happened there. But I am really glad I chose to watch it this past week because it was incredible. I was drawn into the movie and shocked by the shocking parts and rooting for the main character and terrified for him when I thought he had killed himself. It was just a really well done movie and a well-told narrative. Morgan Freeman was great too. I think it's kind of cool that a movie I had no interest in seeing has easily become one of my favorites.
8. Read 50 books (27/50) - in progress
I just finished "The Help" this morning, which was an incredibly quick read. I'd only started it last night, and around 7:30 at that. I like books like that, ones that pull you along so you keep telling yourself you'll quit for the night on the next chapter and then forty pages later you realize you're still reading. I'd recommend this to anyone.
25. Learn to cook 52 new recipes and organize them in one place (21/52) - in progress
I made tacos on Thursday night, which I didn't use a recipe for but is nice to have in my repertoire. I thought I was being very clever too, by buying a block of cheese so I could cut it for cheese & crackers if I didn't use it all for taco toppings. I was too busy praising my intelligence to notice how close my hand was to the cheese grater (which I recently, and quite proudly, acquired). Cheese graters are fun until you accidentally grate half your knuckle off instead of the cheddar and bleed through two Band-Aids.
On Friday I made apricot chicken in the slow cooker. It was the first time I had used the slow cooker, but the cookbook I have keeps telling me the meat will be more tender if you put it on low rather than high, so I cooked the chicken for seven hours. Like the cookbook promised, it was incredible, and I liked the fact I kind of dumped everything in and then cooking the rice & broccoli at dinnertime only took ten minutes.
45. Keep a swear jar for two weeks at $0.25 per swear - in progress
I'm going to start this today, which means I'll end on Sunday, January 31st. Any swear I say out loud counts as a quarter, but I'm going to cut myself a break and not count swears that I think. Because let's be honest, telling yourself not to think something is a surefire way to start thinking about it all the time.
56. Exercise 2-3 times a week (21/143) - in progress
I was good this week -- treadmill on Monday, walked home & did yoga on Tuesday, walked home & lifted weights & did the elliptical on Wednesday, and walked home & did yoga on Thursday. I've noticed that I eat a lot better on the days that I exercise. I'll walk back over to the apartment from the gym & cut up an apple with peanut butter, or eat a banana & a handful of almonds. I also tend to drink a lot more water. But I'm still struggling with that balancing act of having no time to exercise, or so much time that I start being lazy and don't snap out of it. Still a work in progress.
93. Buy the basic spices for my kitchen - in progress
I thought this might have been done, but then I needed onion flakes & ginger for the apricot chicken, and I didn't have either. So I'm still missing a few, I guess.
-- Till next time.
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