Where has 2014 gone!?

Resolutions for 2014

1.      Strengthen myself educationally and career-wise

2.      Cook more – there’s mom’s collection of recipes to learn, plus so many recipe books that are just lying in the basement, collecting dust.

3.      Tap into my creative side more: painting, writing, dancing, photography, and whatever else I can get into.

4.      Learn a new skill – always, always, always!

5.      Go on a vacation. I’d originally wanted to go on 2-2, but for now I’ll settle for one vacation.

6.      Read more!

7.      Blog more (haha, what an inspiring start!)

8.      Cross off 1 item from my bucket list. I tend to avoid this as a resolution, but I think 2014 is the year to achieve something!

This year has positively flown, with no by your leave or excuse me. I swear it was May just yesterday, and here we are saying hello to September already. It doesn't make any sense. I didn't cook more (oops, #2), I didn't blog at all (sorry #7), and the only dent I've made in my creative exploration (#3) is stockpiling canvasses and paint as if it’s my job (I’m such a shopaholic!). I’d cross off a bucket list item (#8), if I could only find my bucket list (I swear I lose more stuff when I clean). I have done a fair amount of reading, exploring new authors and genres (#6, you can breathe). And I do still have 3 months to redeem myself, so maybe 2014 won’t be a complete wash. Four out of eight…is that a new record low for me?

This has been my first year as a non-student. Hello adulthood. I’m doing well at work (really well, thankfully). I've gotten a certification that makes my resume look a little prettier, and gives me useful skills that I apply to my work (#1 and #4, check and check).

I’d been working out pretty intensively in the first half of the year. That, coupled with a round or two of juicing helped me drop some weight and get healthier. Score for a non-resolution win! Side effect of working out: my back is busted again. Between doctors, meds, and physical therapy, I've been better, more functional for the past couple of years. But at the beginning of this summer I could feel my back reacting the same way that it had in 2012. Long story short, I was smart this time and went to a chiropractor right away. (More about that experience later…I promise!) Three months later, I’m doing much better, though still not optimal, and definitely not back to a state where I can be working out.

Which kinda sucks because we’re going to India in October (knocked #5 out of the park!). I’ll be going back after 10 years. Holy! I would have loved to be more in shape, but hey ho, this is my lot and I’m choosing to accept it instead of wishing and regretting. It’ll be a fairly long trip, with stops along a few places in northern India. I’m really looking forward to spending time with my Nana-Nani, meeting relatives I've never even heard of, and shopping. There’s an army celebration that we will be attending; it will be interesting to meet my contemporaries. Hello awkward times? Maybe it’ll be good times. *fingers crossed*

Despite the rushed feeling, there have been plenty of good times in 2014 - my "Jar o' Good Stuff" is so stuffed I've had to expand. I've been to three baby showers, which is exactly three more than I've ever been to. One ladies sangeet. One wedding reception. A few graduations. A birthday party that involved a belly dancer. A birthday party that involved a toddler. A random party that involved an uncle insistently serving everyone alcohol – now that was awkward! I made friends with kids who are now grownups, and observed grownups who have behaved worse than children. My social life has been entertaining (okay, more accurately, it’s my parents’ social life. In my defense, my friends are scattered around the world – Atlanta, Toronto, Chicago, San Diego, India, Croatia…just a tiny bit hard to get together with these peeps from Albany, NY). I’m getting involved in…what do adults call extracurricular activities? Whatever it’s called, I’m doing more of that. The balance is definitely tipped to the positive side in 2014.

I just have to get cracking on the rest of my resolutions now, so ta!

2013 Check In #3

I have been wanting to update this blog for the longest time - hell, I've got 3-4 hauls I've been wanting to post about among other posts that are already drafted, but life has just been busy! Clearly, blogging took a back seat, despite the best of intentions.

A whopping 3 months later, I've got enough work accomplished to justify a break. Mind's still a bit preoccupied with everything else, so I'll just do a run through of my resolutions and general check in.

1. Blogging, as previously mentioned, took a hit post August. Reasons to follow.

2. Per force I've kept up with the reading - 4 English courses in one semester is no joke. Lots of diverse reading - from 20th century Irish literature to short stories by fellow classmates in a writing workshop class.

3. Four or more photo challenges!? Who was I kidding! What I have done, instead, is started an Instagram account. This is a much easier way of making sure I'm doing some photography throughout the year. I've also half-assed my way through 3 photo months, and there's still December to come, so I'll consider this fait accompli. Note to self: don't set yourself up for more photo challenges in 2014!

4. Get a job. Well, wouldn't you know it - I ended up with TWO jobs this year. AND two internships (not all simultaneously, though it was a close thing). Hurray! First job was the freelance writing, which I had to forego because my schedule got insane (full time student in my last semester, an internship and a job with the state didn't leave much room for homework and sleep, let alone interviewing and writing up articles).

5. Learn a new skill - I am a recent "graduate" of Project Management training. I'm also learning SO MANY new things on the job with Business Analysis.

7. Vacation with Mishal didn't happen this year - but plans for next year have started! Legit plans! March is happening!!! I could really use the time off.

8. Move to Atlanta - now did I really think I'd be moving to Atlanta? Move somewhere, someday, yes. Move to Atlanta in 2013, not so much. Silly me!

9. Mission get back in touch with Caitlin is a success - now to actually meet her in person again. I've got a giant hug lined up :)

10. Help Mom out more - was derailed because the focus was to finish strong in undergrad. December 10th evening onward, I'll be helping more around the house with everything.

11. Do at least one crafty project. Well, I spray painted a couple of things and did rice rangoli. Other than that, I've just pinned many, many more ideas to pursue "some" day.

12. Get healthier. yes. Lost some weight in the process. Certainly not "done" with this goal though.

13. For some reason, luck #13 - make myself priority 1 - always take a bit of a beating. Slow steps.

Having gone through the list, I'm surprised and pleased at how much more I have accomplished than I gave myself credit for. It's been a hectic year, but well spent.

One more month to go (okay, one and a half). I intend to get more blog posts up, so keep an eye out :)

My Summer Days 2013

My holidays somehow end up being busier than regular "working" semesters. Go figure.

I had just about one free week, and then all this started:

1) Two online classes - both four weeks long, both reading intensive. Past experience with summer classes did not prepare me for this!

2) Summer internship - Unpaid summer internship. My last internship was more work oriented, but it was a paid internship. Since this is for college credit, so far it's been more classes and more READING!

This is not the sort of reading I had planned on doing this summer. At least I get college credit at the end of it all (hopefully) ...?

3) Freelance writing job - (thank you craigslist.) I get to interview local business people and do write-ups. My first article just published ... SUPER excited to join a family history of published writing.

Life has a funny way of coming full circle. When I'd started majoring in English I'd been warned to avoid journalism because it was not lucrative or glamorous. Well, this isn't glamorous, but it's my only source of money for the time being.

There are other things that keep me busy. Searching for, applying for, and praying for another (unpaid!) internship for the fall. This will be a guaranteed 3 credits towards my major. All this unpaid business ... I'm consoling myself with a) I'll be learning new skills and exploring something new b) It'll be a good experience to put on the resume and c) The networking possibilities are fantastic. Somewhere between 8 hours of internship, 6 hours of class work, 6 hours of sleep, 2 hours of getting ready/eating/taking a breath, I'm squeezing in chores like sorting through years worth of memories and junk in order to clear up space in the house, contacting people for regular communications, showering, searching for a real paying job, reading for pleasure, blogging, establishing a professional net-presence, catching up on shows/youtube, learning new things, and spending quality time with the family. (If you do the math, the last litany of things is accomplished in a 2 hour window.)

Plans Are For Amateurs

What I'd intended to do this summer:

1) Get through my mom's recipe diary - it's got well over 100 recipes and I wanted to make as many as possible.

2) Try a new recipe a week from the myriad of cookbooks we've collected over the years, but never actually used.

3) Read. Specifically, FREE read things that have been sitting on my to-read and to-re-read list for ages!

4) Take up a photo-project.

5) Digitize all the old print photos.

6) Clean and organize various parts of the house because they need an overhaul.

7) Write! I really wanted to get into the habit of writing on a daily basis, but I'm lucky if I catch a proper sleep on a daily basis.

8) Pick up a new skill/learn something new. This will happen by the way at the internship, but I'd been thinking of something a little less work-oriented.

9) Paint ... I'd finally gotten some surge of inspiration. Now I have a muse running lose in my head and no time to let her express herself on canvas.

10) Travel. This would have been a great time to do a family trip, but now even the weekends are booked with papers for these stupid classes.

What's that saying? We plan and God laughs...

2013 Check In #2

*waves* Hi there!

You had a burst of updates from me in the beginning of April, so I don't feel too badly about having skived off since. Don't mind the slew of product reviews, but since Influenster did send them to me for free, because I'm socially active, it was my duty to oblige. I hope somebody out there read them and got something out of it. I'm still completely loving Olay's Fresh Effects system - wakes me up in the morning with a lovely massage.

Since I'm completing an English major, "keep up with reading" has been a cinch! I'm taking a sci-fi English class and just re-read Hunger Games. Re-loved it! I've self-imposed a library-ban so I don't get distracted by Catching Fire and Mockingjay. The next three weeks are going to be looooong!

Photo challenges are on hold. I was going to do a winter into spring into summer kind of thing, but the weather was crappy up until last week, then overnight we fell into spring. Go figure! I'm planning on doing a portrait series over the summer. My cousin's getting married, so maybe I'll do a "little moments" kind of challenge/series as well. Any other ideas?

"Get a job" is in progress. Anyone? Anything? I really want to get some experience in the PR/Publishing/Editing fields to see what's a good fit. Or get a state job, because I'm about age out of my mom's health insurance. Eeks!

Does rediscovering writing count? Or writing a sci-fi piece, because it'd be my first. We're done with 1/3 of the year (yes, gasp!), so I'm holding out hope for the remaining 2/3.

I'm getting better at dealing with PersonX, but it gets tricky every now and then. Relationships are complicated and messy. Pity complete avoidance isn't an option.

I don't see myself moving to Atlanta, since I'm working on graduating in December 2013, but hopefully a vacation with Mishal happens. It has to! The question is, when?

I'm being utter crap at getting back in touch with Caitlin. I've tried, but could have tried harder. Shame on me!

Helping Mom is happening, as is getting healthier and making myself priority. Now for that craft project...I first need to sort out my crafts boxes. Is a mess!

Meanwhile, the Jar O' Good Stuff and the To-Do/Memory Board have both filled up more since the first of the year:

In news that doesn't quite fit into resolutions update: I'm participating in TWO Research Conferences. It's the same sci-fi piece for both, but I haven't done something like this since 10th grade, so the experience and exposure will be great. Now, here's hoping my piece is substantial if not good (great might be asking for too much of a WIP). Squee/oh shit! 

2013 Check In #1

Life is hectic. I had forgotten how demanding undergrad was. Or maybe it's the years that have changed my perspective and priorities. It's out of the house from 7am to 5pm, back in just long enough for tea, then gym, them home for shower & dinner & barely enough time to do readings and homework (woah! I really didn't think I'd be doing homework at this stage in my life). Somewhere in there I manage to squeeze in sleep. Weekends are left for taking care of the house, catching up on school stuff and trying to keep up with an online course I'm taking.

Not sure what possessed me to join an online course, but I couldn't pass up on something called Learning Creative Learning, especially when it was free. It's a MOOC (massive open online course) offered by MIT via p2pu... and this is all very new to me, so I'm completely geeking out over the new words and concepts ;) That should neatly cover Resolution #5 - to learn a new skill.

School takes care of #2 - keeping up with reading. The rest of my 2013 resolutions are all giant WIPs, much like the household DIYs I've got lined up. We'll get into that later. Maybe. If I make any progress at any rate.

I've got a few reviews coming your way. Hopefully I'll get them written up & posted more frequently than this last post took to get out. That just goes to show, I'm that tied up with "life". Lately, my idea of taking a break involves cleaning a room in the house or learning some new housekeeping trick. I'm growing OLD! REALLY need to get to #7 - take a vacation with Mishal - ASAP!

ps - I just had to watch Forbidden Planet for a class. I don't think this kind of sci-fi is my cup of tea, which is too bad since I'm taking an entire class on SF writing (not the class I had to watch this movie for... the Gods are laughing). On the other hand, Hunger Games is on the reading list, so it can't be all that bad ;)

I'll leave you with my current motto in life ... really trying to live by these words:

2012 Progress Report #4

*peeks out* Yes, I've failed quite miserably at many of my goals for 2012. But I've learned a lot along the way and grown a bit as well.

So let's see:

I've been pretty decent at putting myself first. I haven't turned into a selfish brat or anything, but I do remember to consider my own feelings more often and I've stopped holding myself responsible for things that really are not my problems at all. That's a big improvement for me. Yay :)

Personal goal + some medical set backs (back still hurts!) got in the way of Goal 3. The good thing is I've noticed a change in my eating habits that is more standard for me now. No, I haven't given up on rice & roti completely, but I watch the portion size very closely. I snack more healthily as well.

I'm not sure I really want to go to India any more. My grandparents are here, visiting, and they were the primary reason for going to India. Things are as bad or worse in India and it stresses me out just thinking of making a trip there. I'd much rather travel nearly anywhere else.

I think I'd much rather go to Atlanta for clinicals now. My bestie lives there and it'll be a new city to explore.

I still haven't gotten around to a Bermuda Cruise Scrapbook. But then, I've been busy. Maybe I'll get around to it now. Maybe.

Any book recommendations peeps? I want something light but juicy.

Does painting count as learning a new skill. Granted I haven't learned much, other than self-teaching. Well I've got a few things in mind, so we'll see how all of that comes out.

I clearly dropped the ball on blogging more often. I blame it all on Goal 2. It really took all my attention and energy. So, again, maybe now I'll be able to refocus on the goal. The photoblog challenge was an even bigger fail. I've taken pictures over the past few months, though not daily and definitely haven't posted them. I guess you all can expect a mega post for that as well.

*scratches head* I don't really remember what's on my bucket list. Oops! I'll have to go back to my diary to see if I accomplished anything.

Does making an attempt at accomplishing all goals on my resolutions list count as a success? I have a feeling that's a big NO! Darn!

In other news, I have extra wisdom teeth. I got the one that was bothering me removed today. Does that mean I have less wisdom, or more? ;)

2012 Progress Report #3

Ah! Why hasn't anyone yelled at me for not blogging? I need your help to stay on track!

March took a dip down so I should probably call this a regress report instead. Anyway, here goes:

Resolution 2 has taken over my life.

With that being the case, I've only managed to keep up on Resolutions 8 & 11.

Alright, I admit it. I've faltered a bit on my 365day photo challenge. I've missed a day here and there, though I try to make it up by taking extra pics the next day. Once in a while I've managed to snap something on my phone but nothing of good quality. Renewed commitment to this resolution, starting now! But you all also have to remember the badger me to keep it up and post my pics regularly!

Clearly blogging "more frequently" didn't happen in March. I have a few semi-posts all queued up, but no time to refine them to posting quality (blame the efforts & time being put towards Resolution 2).

I managed to make time to read Bossy Pants. It was an interesting read. Not exactly good, just different. I guess I'm just not a big autobio person. I prefer my fantasy (Hunger Games anyone!) That said, I'd still recommend people read it. Tina Fey does a good job grounding life's basic lessons in her personal experience.

Speaking of The Hunger Games ... have you seen the movie yet? If not, GO!!! You'll understand the movie better if you've read the book, but it's not entirely necessary. At most, you need to either wiki-up the series (follow the first Hunger Games link) or find a friend to give you a brief synopsis. Jennifer Lawrence did a fantastic job as Katniss Everdeen. Definitely a fan favorite. They nailed it in every aspect with this movie. It's not one of those, damn they really screwed with the book/plot versions. I felt like every tweak was justified and was really satisfied coming out of the theater. A solid 4.25/5 stars from me.

In other news, something's wrong with my back. That is, something more is wrong with my back. This pain in my lower back started nearly two months ago. Three doctors visits, an MRI and three medications later I'm in no better state. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion things have progressed to worse. So it's back to the docs for me (hopefully I see him for longer than 2 minutes this time). Keep your fingers crossed I don't get another "we can't do anything other than medication and physical therapy" from them. That clearly didn't show any results. I'm not saying surgery (since this is my spine we're talking about), but something is better than the doctor shrugging and showing me the door. sigh


Well it was good to write another blog. I do enjoy writing. Hopefully I didn't bore too many of you ;)

Can you believe we're almost done with 25% of 2012!? Time sure flies. What have you accomplished in the first three months? Are you satisfied with your progress or are you going to give yourself a renewed push like me?

2012 Progress Report #2

One down, 11 more to go. January has been an interesting month, to say the least. Lots of moving ahead in life kind of decisions made. Discovered several very helpful resources (keep an eye out for a blog post about that). And I've made progress on many of my resolutions.

Quick update:

Most significantly, I have been diligent about maintaining my photoblog. I haven't missed a day yet and I don't intend to let that record slip. Finding and/or taking interesting, unique, fun shots has been the biggest challenge. On some days it feels like there's nothing left to take a picture of. It doesn't help that I take multiple pictures every day before deciding on whatever I like the best. But at this rate, this is going to be the most photographed house in the world! ;)

I was running through my bucket list to check out what I might do this year. Turns out, the 365 Photo challenge is also on my list. But I want to push myself to cross off something different as well. Might as well, yeah ;)

I did well with blogging last month, though perhaps I should have spaced them out more. What do you think? And any suggestions for future blog posts? Want to hear my opinion on anything in particular?

I read a book! It's been years since I read a proper, just for fun book. It was nice to have something relaxing to turn to when studying, chores, etc. became too boring.

In the lose weight depart things are going slow. I've made some changes to my eating habits, but more needs to be done. And I definitely need to make a more concentrated effort to go to the gym more often.

The rest of the resolutions are all on track; they are either in the WIP category or shelved for later category.

With goals and progress, maintaining a positive outlook has been much easier so far. Fingers crossed for the rest of the year!

2012 Progress Report #1

The first eleven days of 2012 have been busy but uneventful. Somehow, the beginning of the year is always a time for new patterns and routines. Here's to positive changes and developing good habits.

Resolution 1 is a work in progress (WIP). It's a long-term project in the whole self-improvement journey.

Resolutions 2 & 3 are also in the WIP category. (And of course, Resolution 13.)

Resolutions 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 & 12 are shelved to a later point in this year. They're all time-sensitive and/or time-permitting activities and there's just no room for them in January.

Resolution 8 is WIP-ish. I've got two pleasure reads sitting on my bedside table. Now it's a matter of finding some down time, picking one of them up and just reading. 4-12 books ... Let's see which end of the spectrum I land in by December 31, 2012. Any suggestions folks? I love fantasy, mystery, Arthurian era fiction, etc. Would love recommendations.

Resolution 10 is clearly WIP as well. This being my first post of the year, there is hope yet. I've already written & scheduled the second post and have an idea for the third that's rolling around in my mind and nagging to be started. And again, suggestions are welcome. Sometimes I want to write, but can't think of anything to write about.

Resolution 11 is coming along quite well. I'm happy to report that I've only had two slip ups in terms of posting time (something I fully anticipated and kind of accepted in my disclaimer post). I have, however, kept up with taking a picture a day and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll stay that way through the next 355 days. Oh yeah! So check out my PhotoBlog and leave some love!

I've also been a very good girl and made my list of mini-goals for January. I hope this, and a few other tools, will keep me on track and help me achieve everything I want to in 2012.

How's your 2012 going so far germs & gems?