101 week 10

The 101 re-evaluation is still re-evaluating. Nothin' to see here...

Weekly Goals:
- daily journals
- weekly German
- weekly blogpost (this one, natch)
- weekly diary
- morning workout 
- DVD workout
- walk in park 
- play music 2x 


Monthly Goals:
- 40% Commute by bike
- 1 pleasure bike ride
- 1 week carb free, 1 week dairy free
- visit library 2x

Reflections:
mmmhmm

101 Week 9

A few goals will be changing. Rather, I've decided on the changes, just not quite on how to implement them yet - whether I'll "reboot" or what. Starting the 101 at the same time we closed on a house was kind of a ridiculous plan. And I  made a few goals that just aren't quite in line with who I am/want to be. So a change is forthcoming. But in the meantime, here's this week's 101:

Weekly Goals:
- daily journals
- weekly German
- weekly blogpost (this one, natch)
- weekly diary
- morning workout 
- DVD workout
- walk in park 
- play music 2x 


Monthly Goals:
- 40% Commute by bike
- 1 pleasure bike ride
- 1 week carb free, 1 week dairy free
- visit library 2x

Reflections:

I got a new one in: the walk in the park.  That's about it. Other's suffered, but it was a much-needed down week from the past two months of housework, culminating in the housewarming party. And it took me the full week to recover to the point that I resumed housework (getting the recreational areas setup & organized) at a much slower pace. 

101 Week 8

Entropy and what not. 

Weekly Goals:
- daily journals
- weekly German
- weekly blogpost (this one, natch)
- weekly diary
- morning workout 
- DVD workout
- walk in park 
- play music 2x 

Sporadic Goals: 
- Make one "pinned" recipe every other month
- pseudo-progress on a goal I've previously alluded to but am still iffy about

Monthly Goals:
- 40% Commute by bike
- 1 pleasure bike ride
- 1 week carb free, 1 week dairy free
- visit library 2x

Reflections:
Sometimes I want to do things, like build a home in Skyrim - courtesy of the Hearthfire add-on, or read comics, that are in direct conflict with my time to be productive. Given that I have a few goals that have opened up (I'm looking at you, weekly diary), Should I replace it with something low-key like "Beat Skyrim"? I mean, I do have a serious issue finishing just about anything I start, for fun or any other reason, and videogames are no exception. The list of videogames I've beaten, ever, in my life (all of which has had access to a game console):

-Final Fantasy 3 (American #3)
-Puzzlequest 2
-Viva Pinata (as much as one can "beat" this game - by having acquired each pinata, but not having completed each and every variation (but a vast majority), nor bred each pinata to its max of 7 (but again, each at least a few times).

Yeah, that's it. I'm like, 3/4ths the way through Fable 3, and have been for a year now. And now I'm rambling about videogames. 

I want to be optimistic that I'll get better about the goals again. The House is still eating up time (with the Warming party preparation & all, but that has just passed). But some goals need House progress to continue (like, getting my craft space set up). It's also eating up money (in the case of any goals the specifically need money to progress). Not having a functioning computer certainly restricts progress on a select few goals, also. And, well, Life, right? 

I missed this month's First Friday. That's 1 of the 2/yr allowed.

I'm definitely going to reconfigure some goals by the end of this first quarter, probably 5-10 will change. This whole experiment has provided me with an interesting sort of microscope to analyze my life through. Even on a pitiful week such as this one, I feel progress in my life, if maybe only because I'm taking a moment each week to chronicle it.

101 Week 7

So these things are going to be truncated for a while. My computer is dead, so I'm relegated to break time at work and Mr. Burly's computer - which is not my ideal workspace.
Weekly Goals:
- daily journals
- weekly German
- weekly blogpost (this one, natch)
- weekly diary
- morning workout (totally counting my morning bike commute for this. Yeah, I'll cheat like that for now)
- DVD workout
- walk in park 
- play music 2x 

Sporadic Goals: 
- 


Monthly Goals:
- 40% Commute by bike (1 ride, 20%)
- 1 pleasure bike ride
- 1 week carb free, 1 week dairy free
- visit library 2x

Reflections:
Blargh. Bad week for the 101 - to be follower with, I predict,, another bad week.

101 Week 6

This week is not pretty.

Weekly Goals:
- daily journals
- weekly German
- weekly blogpost (this one, natch)
- weekly diary
- morning workout (totally counting my morning bike commute for this. Yeah, I'll cheat like that for now)
- DVD workout
- walk in park
- play music 2x (1x figured out the chords to Firewater's Hey Clown, 2x practiced Hey Clown)

Sporadic Goals: 
- Finished Female Chauvinist Pigs


Monthly Goals:
- 40% Commute by bike
- 1 pleasure bike ride
- 1 week carb free, 1 week dairy free
- visit library 2x

Reflections
-A wonderful development in my life lately, which coincides with The Housening & The 101: I. Sleep. I mean, I wasn't really a problem sleeper before, except that I'd stay up a little later than I should've, and be a little sluggish the next day for it. But between The Housening & The 101, I get home from work, I get f*n productive for a few hours, I have maybe 23-46 minutes of TV some nights, then I crash. And I crash at a time that is good for my body but not so early I feel deprived of living, and I wake up at a time that I can get ready, and have breakfast (previously taken to work with me), and not rush in the morning (admittedly, living closer to work and taking a few minutes off the commute helps, but biking to work will negate that gain). Anyway, it has been AMAZING. As The Housening calms down, it'll be interesting to see if this pattern holds; but I haven't much reason to expect it won't, so long as I'm continuing through the 101 and being productive most of my evenings. That's been huge for me: not just sitting and zoning at the computer.
-You may notice that, week after week, I slack on most goals resembling physical activity. It's not that I'm that lazy, on a good week I'll spend 5 hours in classes at my local dance studio (2 hours on a bad week, 1 on a really bad week - or a week when I'm saving $ for a house, which is no longer my excuse). While I know a variety of physical activity is great for the body, damn if it's just dance that motivates me best to move. On that note, three weeks ago I did something to my foot, I assume in a dance class (but maybe while I was moving things into the house), as I pretty much only feel it when I'm barefoot. I don't know what I did or when I did it, but one day a very small portion of it started tingling. I've taken no course of action on it as it will start to feel better, then I'll be stupid and aggravate it again. Sadly, it looks like I just need to ease up on it for a bit. This makes me profoundly unhappy, but I should take the opportunity to bike more as (A) it doesn't aggravate the foot and (B) the saddle sores that I remind myself of everytime I think about riding are only going to reduce in frequency & intensity if I ever actually bike regularly. Anyway, injured - but not hurting - foot. Reduces overall physical activity - goal related AND the regular stuff.
-Last week I pushed myself, and it was awesome. I simply did not fare so well this week. 

101 Week 5

Week 5 was a definite improvement over 3 & 4. I pushed myself to make it happen, and am happy for doing so. I'm inching closer to a "perfect" week (i.e. fulfilling all weekly goals, plus a monthly goal or two, plus a sporadic or one-time goal).

Weekly Goals:
- daily journals
- weekly German
- weekly blogpost (Birchbox review time!)
- weekly diary
- morning workout (totally counting my morning bike commute for this. Yeah, I'll cheat like that for now)
- DVD workout
- walk in a park (hell, we camped in it, too!)
- play music 2x (1x -practiced You Don't Know My Mind. I appreciate that it has easy chords. I need the brain space to concentrate on the rhythms.)

Sporadic Goals: 
- more reading in Female Chauvinist Pigs
- Camped!

Monthly Goals:
- 40% Commute by bike (1 ride/ week 1 - 20%)
- 1 pleasure bike ride
- 1 week carb free, 1 week dairy free
- visit library 2x

Reflections
-I'm over the diary thing. I am not a diarist. I love the short little daily journal. Hate sitting down to an unknown quantity of time expecting to fill space with more. It's early in the 101, I may reclaim that goal spot for something else. Carb & Dairy-free weeks are also dangerously close to revision.
-Camping was great. During the trip I realized it had been at least 7 years since I last camped. The weather was perfect, as was our chosen company. Mr. Burly wants to camp more than once a year.
-I enjoyed biking to work...between the wheezing & gasping (I exaggerate. a little). It had been a few months since I rode, and this was my first foray into traffic riding.

July Birchbox Review: Not So Easy to Please

I'm very high-maintenance in my low-maintenance ways, it seems. I kinda want the world from my Birchbox. I should probably reset my expectations. Or stop my subscription and try another subscription. Or not have any subscriptions and resume my happy SlackerChic ways. It's taken forever (and the August Birchbox arrival- teaser at the end!) for me to get around to writing this "review." "Review" is in scare quotes b/c, well, if you asked me to list what I got off the top of my head, I would only remember 1 thing, and even then I haven't tried it.

Granted, I've been busy. So very busy. About the time this box showed up, we closed on a house, and we've been moving and/or settling. I couldn't even tell you where the box is right now. But the Birchbox page reminds me what I have.

See!

To which I am relieved that I'm not missing anything, apparently.

So without further ado, I present to you  

Birchbox, July: A Half-Assed, I-Have-Better-Things-To-Do, Review.

Alterna Bamboo UV+ Color Protection: I will revisit this product with a proper review once I resume putting color in my hair.

Birchbox Earbuds: The one thing I remembered but hadn't tried. OK, they're brightly colored earbuds. And, I'm a sucker for bright colors. And, I'm no audiophile. At a guess, I probably won't hear a difference between these buds and the factory-issued buds I have floating around. Hell, I don't know that I hear a difference between my factory-issued buds and the Skullcandy buds I paid real monies for (purchased so I would have in-ear buds with the foamy tips that I can buy in small so they FIT and STAY. not for maximum hearings of ALL THE SOUNDZ). If I get around to trying these and find there is a difference (price: $10, I doubt it), I will update accordingly.

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner: I reeeeally wanted to be excited about this one. It's (A) a full-size product, not "sample" size and (B) eyeliner! Something I use! But alas, why eyeliner is ever made in anything other than waterproof is something I'll never understand. My eyelids shed product like nothing. So, while I have every intention of giving the eyeliner a fair trial, it has yet to happen. I have to be motivated to apply makeup ever, let alone on a day I'm not actually doing anything (lest I be caught out, looking like a sad raccoon, and no means to fix it). Me, put on makeup for no one? See also: the Slacker half of SlackerChic.

Harvey Prince Hello perfume: See also: my rants about perfume.

Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum: OK, I also have every intention of trying this. It happened to show up a week or two after I finally (FINALLY!) found a sunscreen for my face that didn't turn it into a slick and didn't stink. Pardon my lack of enthusiasm for trying a new (more expensive) substitute after I found exactly what I'd been looking for.

Tea Forte minteas: I guess this one is technically full-size, too. Meh, mints. The flavor is a little weird. I'm not a tea person, but the mint & sweetness were pronounced enough that the tea flavor didn't put me off. 

So, that's a lot of reviewing for not reviewing anything. Go Me!

Stars? ummm.... 3 of 5? Technically this basically fit all the objective parameters they have from me (since I don't have a box to check in my profile that says NO FUCKING PERFUMES). But I can't really get excited about anything in this box, and part of that is the timing of it (a sunscreen in the June box had a better chance), but...I can't let all the bad be blamed on timing, either. I wouldn't have been impressed with Teamints no matter what day, or phase in my life, it was.

...August teaser: Another perfume!

101 Week 4

Yeah. I got nothing. The days I'm not at the dance studio, I'm working manically on the house. Less than one month to house-warming, and I want the place to look good. That said, we're making good progress. I might be able to lighten up just a little bit. But this is the sad reality:

Weekly Goals:
- daily journals
- weekly German
- weekly blogpost (well, there's this post at least)
- weekly diary
- morning workout
- DVD workout
- walk in park
- play music 

Sporadic Goals:
- more reading in Female Chauvinist Pigs

Monthly Goals:
- Commute by bike
- 1 pleasure bike ride
- 1 week carb free, 1 week dairy free
- visit library 2x

Reflections:
The quickened move got me all screwed up. Totally spaced the carb & dairy-free weeks, although truth be told these are not high priority goals for me. They kinda feel like filler in the goal list. Let's see what month 2 brings...

101 week 3

Weekly Goals:
- daily journals
- weekly German
- weekly blogpost (well, there's this post at least)
- weekly diary
- morning workout
- DVD workout
- walk in park
- play music 

Sporadic Goals:
- every month have a week of daily physical activity.
- try a new restaurant every 3 months. We had dinner at Siam Square in Fountain Square. I highly recommend it, quite delicious. 

Reflections:
This week's goals went about as well as could be, which is to say I only got a few in. I'm counting the week of physical activity. Every day this week was spent either painting, packing, or moving. That's way more activity on each individual day compared to any normal day I would have. Trying a new restaurant was not on the agenda, so that was a pleasant surprise. We're not anywhere near settled in the house, but I'm working to fit the goals into my day, which will be fun because I am exhausted.

101 Week 2

This is just going to be difficult until I am moved into the house and settled, but I'm still powering through because part of this is learning to make time for the things I say I'm going to do, right? However, I'm seriously questioning some of my decisions - like any goals dealing with running. So, some of my goals may be up for renegotiation soon.

Weekly Goals:
- daily journals
- weekly German
- weekly blogpost (well, there's this post at least)
- weekly diary
- morning workout
- DVD workout
- walk in park
- play music (2x) (1x learned chords to Hugh Laurie's You Don't Know My Mind on Jez) (2x reviewed You Don't Know My Mind for retention/ smooth out chord progressions/ get a better feel for the rhythms.)


Sporadic Goals:
- Started reading Female Chauvinist Pigs
- Started refreshing my memory on photography 101
- Picked the WP theme for my website
- Started sorting & selecting pictures for the wedding album


Reflections: This isn't all I set out to accomplish this week, but it's most of it, plus a couple of things that weren't on the agenda, but were more convenient for the time being, as replacements for the things I didn't do. It's weird. Looking at the list, it feels like so little. But I work 40 hours, I'm painting a house 3-4 nights a week, I'm going to dance class a couple of hours a week, and I'm finding ways to work these things in, where I would've otherwise just pissed time away on the internet (or some other unworthy pursuit). I've gotta get a better perspective on how I spend my time. I found myself looking at the "1,001 day" time span this week and thinking that is a really long time frame to be working in. Reeeeeally long. In so many respects, it's not. Not at all when I break it down to "9 days per goal," which is not quite accurate, either, (and short-changing, actually) b/c I have 8 goals to accomplish on a weekly basis as part of a routine. But I came across blogs, when I was looking into this, where people changed goals part-way through. Or they wrote, at the end, about how many things didn't happen b/c priorities in life changed.  My goals feel very front-loaded to me, as in: Things I Want To Do Now (Preferably Yesterday). It's difficult to know what I want to do 2 years from now. But then, goals such as "Get En Pointe" simply cannot happen today, so  I did build some time-eaters into this experiment. But will I care about Pointe in a year or two? (Or less likely: will I ever care about running a 5K, let alone making a time goal on it?)


And, as of the end of this week, our moving timeline just got crunched from 2 weeks down to 1. This next week might just be the bare minimum to keep any momentum on the 101in1001. But maybe this is a good thing - one bare bones week so that I can finally move my life forward and stop straddling two living places. Then I'll be able to more quickly establish an equilibrium and a priority listing of the home-related goals I do have on this list.


Moving in T-minus 6 days. 

101 week 1

SO, I have the damnedest timing and I kinda sorta had a nagging sensation in the back of my mind about how this was all going to pan out given my chosen 101 in 1001 start date of 7/15/12, but I kinda sorta tend to ignore those nagging sensations all the time.

I mean, what could possibly set you back by starting a 101 in 1001 only four days after closing on your first home - when so few of your goals have nothing to do with setting up a first (or any new-to-you) home?

 It's not like some goals weren't picked with the new house in mind (a kitchen I can move in! enough space to simply dedicate a corner to sewing & crafting! a park nearby! easier bike commute!) But most goals were picked ignoring the reality that is The Housening. Progress?

Weekly goals:

- daily journals
- weekly German
- weekly blogpost
- weekly diary
- morning workout
- DVD workout
- walk in park
- play music (2x) (1x - Worked out Mika's Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) on my Uke. FYI: That song is UKE HELL in its original key signature.) (1x Worked out Scissor Sisters' I Don't Feel Like Dancin')

Sporadic/ or Regular-But-Not-Weekly goals:
 - memorize poems (1/18 - Memorized Howard Nemerov's Political Reflection. Picked for its brevity and easy rhyme scheme. Starting simple, working my way up through the challenge. Or maybe I'll just keep it simple. Set that bar low!)
 - started saving
 - started strategizing personal website


Reflections: 
- I like the daily journaling, in part because I'm taking the Five Year Journal approach (only in a spiral-bound book I already owned. The thick hardback would be annoying, and I'm not going to spend $15+ on paper. I have paper). 
- Weekly German is going to be a bit difficult until I can come up with a system. I'll come up with that system when I'm moved into my house in a few more weeks. This isn't saying I'm not doing it, it's just that I'm using a free app on my phone while things are packed. Not. Ideal.
- Weekly blogpost, I'm hoping, doesn't default to my weekly 101 update. That wasn't a problem this week, but Birchbox comes monthly, not weekly, and I want this blog to be more than Birchbox and 101.
- Writing in a diary is weird. It's been years since I've done so, in part because I've felt pretty emotionally balanced. So, I have few demons to exorcise. But I still think there's value in making an attempt to write more deeply than a few words about each day. And maybe it will work into writing exercises, instead. 
- Working out didn't happen. Part of this is that painting a house is a workout in itself. Part of this is that my DVDs are packed. Part of this is that I'm great at making excuses ;) 
- Walking in the park didn't happen. A fair amount of time is spent at the house, yes. But that's painting time. And when we're done painting we just want to get to a shower and a bed. It might be a few weeks until I get on a walk. 
- Playing music was brief, but accomplished. I took about 15 minutes a couple of times this week to work out chords to songs I like. 


Also of note, I've found an opportunity to approach a specific goal from an unforseen angle. This came up suddenly on Tuesday. You'll hear more about it as it plays out at a later date.

WRENCH IN THE PLAN!
In the eminent house purchase, when we locked down on spending, my pull list at the Local Comic Store just piled....and piled...and piled. I stopped in Wednesday to check it out, and DAMN. I got some reading to catch up on (and some priorities to reconsider as to which books I want to buy regularly). And, I picked up the Captain Marvel #1 - my first Marvel purchase! And I really enjoyed it and will check out Cap. Marvel for the next few months. But it's gonna be tough to catch up on my comic reading and stay on top of the 101. That is, if I get off the internet ever...

So, not too bad for a first week. I upheld over half of the weekly goals, achieved a smaller sporadic goal, & started two longer-term goals. But I'm stressed about getting to the larger goals I have set with enough time to manage. I spent a few minutes around the middle of the week looking at my 101 and brainstormed/planned how to approach this week. I like having a gameplan.

P.S. Got a fab new purse! 

Irrelevant, I know.