Project URL: http://sonria.org/project/101-in-1001

List: http://sonria.org/blog/2010/day-0-may-15-2010

I fell off the wagon this week, although there was a very good reason: a I got a job, at least for a little while. I actually already had accepted the offer when I made last week’s post, but I wanted to wait until I actually started before making any sort of announcement.

It’s an interesting place to work, and things seem to be going well, but it’s the first time I have worked the pre-8:00 shift since I was 22, which was longer ago than I care to talk about. Adding to the situation, my non-morning-person tendencies had asserted themselves even more strongly during five weeks of unemployment than they had at Intuit, where my base hours were 9-6. So, it’s been an adjustment — although certainly not an unwelcome one!

This being said, a reason is not the same as an excuse, and the reason I’m making a post with bad news is to give myself an incentive to follow up with good news next week.

21. Complete and post a three-item thankful list every day for 180 consecutive days.

Because I started the job, I will go ahead and give myself credit for this week even though I missed (and subsequently made up) two days. But I’m not going to allow myself to get away with it again.

97. Make one substantive blog post per week for 26 consecutive weeks.

I am not, however, going to let myself get away with missing this one due to the presence of WordPress’ delayed-posting feature. So, I’m resetting back to zero — again. This being said, I have a couple of ideas in mind for posts, and a day and a half of weekend left.

101. Post progress each Saturday.

It wasn’t exactly progress, but here’s the post.

Next Update: July 16, 2011

Project URL: http://sonria.org/project/101-in-1001

List: http://sonria.org/blog/2010/day-0-may-15-2010

I’m starting to run out of steam a little, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. That’s because, while I didn’t get much accomplished this week, I got a lot of groundwork laid. In other words, I should start posting some interesting updates starting as early as next week. Or so I hope…

21. Complete and post a three-item thankful list every day for 180 consecutive days.

I did get restarted after the reset I decided to do last week — and haven’t missed. So I’m now at six days.

36. Write a real letter, sent through postal mail, each month for 12 consecutive months.

Someone in my life is going to get a surprise fairly soon. <smile> And I get to advance this to two consecutive months now.

89. Answer the 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind.

I posted the answer to #15 yesterday.

97. Make one substantive blog post per week for 26 consecutive weeks.

Despite running out of steam, I did meet this requirement, and not just with one or two posts either. This now takes me to six consecutive weeks.

101. Post progress each Saturday.

Here we go! On to next week…

Next Update: http://sonria.org/blog/2011/day-421-july-9-2011

Project URL: http://sonria.org/project/101-in-1001

List: http://sonria.org/blog/2010/day-0-may-15-2010

I’m a day late posting this, but it isn’t for lack of attention to the issue; rather, it’s apparently because of exhaustion. I had been attending a class yesterday during the day and after I got home, decided to take a short nap. I woke up about two hours ago (this particular post is being released real-time instead of on a delay). I don’t usually sleep that long so I must have needed it.

So, on the theory of “better late than never,” here’s the weekly update post for the Day Zero project. For the record, yesterday’s class was definitely worth the lost time and is going to have a positive effect on the blogging, so I’m not at all dissatisfied.

3. Complete two original cross-stitch samplers.

I finished up the design for one of them this week, and ordered the last couple of supplies I needed to actually do the sampler. They came in yesterday while I was in class. It’s a fairly simple design and shouldn’t take that long to make; it’s also not at all in keeping with my décor, so it’ll end up either sold or becoming a gift.

I also ran across gnatkip’s Internet sampler and I simply have to do that one — but, a little to my surprise, I found myself redesigning it to fit onto a smaller piece of fabric and be more personally meaningful. Given that it’s a redesign of an existing sampler, I haven’t decided if it will count as the second “original cross-stitch sampler” or not.

21. Complete and post a three-item thankful list every day for 180 consecutive days.

I completely forgot to do it on Wednesday and Friday of this week (although I attempted to make it up on Thursday). Then, last night, I simply didn’t get to it for the same reason I missed this post. I would have let myself off the hook for a single miss, but three misses in a single week? For that, I think I need to reset to zero and start over. It’s not like extra thankful lists are a bad idea.

90. Complete NaNoWriMo.

Let me just mention that yesterday’s class was on writing. :)

97. Make one substantive blog post per week for 26 consecutive weeks.

This past week makes week #5, which (I think) is the farthest I’ve made it so far. I had blank-page episode on Thursday night, though; I had no idea what to do next and my usual resources for sparking ideas failed. It continued through Friday, but yesterday during the lunch break I wrote out an entire page of ideas for BenefitsFringe — which I kept. I also had a few ideas spark for this blog. So, I think I’ll be able to keep going.

99. Write three original short stories.

I actually wrote an entire one in yesterday’s class — complete with beginning, middle and end. It was only one-and-a-half handwritten pages, though, and I’m not sure it was all that much of a story. It certainly wasn’t submittable. I also may end up folding it into this year’s NaNoWriMo project. So while I wrote a story this week, it remains to be seen whether or not it will count toward this item.

101. Post progress each Saturday.

I may have been a day late, but as you can see, I wasn’t a dollar short!

Next Update: http://sonria.org/blog/2011/day-414-july-2-2011

Project URL: http://sonria.org/project/101-in-1001

List: http://sonria.org/blog/2010/day-0-may-15-2010

It has been another long week, and there’s a bit of panic starting to nibble in. I’m still several weeks from really ending up in trouble, and I still know that I’m emotionally doing better than I would have if I hadn’t resigned my job. But I’m getting ready to pass the one-month mark, and that’s bothering me.

That being said, during this past week I finally started getting phone calls and even had one interview. So I have reason to be optimistic, and I’m trying to look at this period as a chance to get some serious work done on the Day Zero list as well.

21. Complete and post a three-item thankful list every day for 180 consecutive days.

I made it all seven days again this week, which takes me to a total of 26 days now.

83. Donate 100,000 grains of rice at FreeRice.com.

I picked up another 2,000 grains this week, and discovered that I’m not as good at English vocabulary as I thought I was. Time to study up!

89. Answer the 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind.

I answered #14 this week. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am going to slow these down a little bit now. I’m aiming for the next one around July 1.

97. Make one substantive blog post per week for 26 consecutive weeks.

Another week down. I’m now at four consecutive weeks, and still staying ahead of myself by using the delay feature. BenefitsFringe (where I’m posting twice a week right now, and considering going to three times a week) is starting to find its feet.

101. Post progress each Saturday.

Here we go!

There were signs this week that I’ll soon be starting to update other items. I’m doing some more photography work now and tentatively hoping to do a shoot this next week. I also am cutting back on more expensive entertainment, which has led to more cooking as well as to me pulling my cross-stitch supplies back out.

Today marks the 40% mark of the Day Zero project (wow, it seems time has flown). Let’s see what I manage to do over the next 60%!

Next Update: http://sonria.org/blog/2011/day-408-june-26-2011

Project URL: http://sonria.org/project/101-in-1001

List: http://sonria.org/blog/2010/day-0-may-15-2010

It’s been a long week; the malaise that comes with unemployment is starting to kick in. My last bout of unemployment only lasted three weeks total, and this was the end of the third week for this encounter. This is one of about four indications that it’s going to be a lot more difficult for me to get another job this time around.

But I still don’t regret resigning from my job. There are too many indications that I made the right decision; and that statement isn’t at all an indictment of Intuit (in fact, this week I made some very positive statements about it to a job-hunting friend). It was simply a mismatch situation for me — and that mismatch could very well have been in the specific position versus the company.

But this is a post about the Day Zero list; not about my job hunting. One of the indicators that I made the right decision, though, is that I’m making more progress on the Day Zero list and it’s again starting to pay off in terms of mental state and general overall well-being.

21. Complete and post a three-item thankful list every day for 180 consecutive days.

Although there were a couple of days that I struggled to complete the list, I did manage to push through and finish another seven days this week. This now takes me to 19 days, or a little over 10% there.

40. Get a television and a regular DVD player.

I got the DVD player this week. It’s a portable version, but I chose one that has an AC adapter and can be hooked to a television. In my mind, this killed two birds with one stone; I can take my entertainment with me but I can also have it at home.

89. Answer the 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind.

I posted question #12 and question #13 this week. At this point, I’m going to slow down on these a little and fall back toward the twice-a-month schedule I had originally intended to hold. But since the 15th of the month is this coming week, look for #14 soon!

97. Make one substantive blog post per week for 26 consecutive weeks.

This was my third consecutive week, and included the second week of posts over at BenefitsFringe. So, I’m getting onto a roll — or at least I hope. How many times have I started this one again?

101. Post progress each Saturday.

And here’s the post, although I’ll admit that I “cheated” a little and wrote it Friday night. That’s because I intend to be out of bed and out of the house, with the camera, as soon as I can Saturday morning and I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.

Next Update: http://sonria.org/blog/2011/day-400-june-18-2011

Many people, when abandoning an item, will replace it with a new one. I’ve decided to stay true to my original list instead and simply mark items “abandoned,” knowing that they will contribute to not successfully finishing the list.

Instead, I’m making notes as to why I’m abandoning each item so that when I complete the list, I’ll have a comprehensive understanding of my final success rate.

44. Complete a certificate in technical communication.

Abandoning 06/10/2011. That’s because I’ve decided to go back to school and earn the degree instead.

59. Get a tattoo.

Abandoning 06/10/2011. The more I think about it, the more I realize there’s no real point to it. What I had in mind was either a cat on my left shoulder blade or a sun on my left ankle, but I rarely display those places in public. So why should I bother? Combining that with my hatred of needles and tendency to scar easily, I don’t think this is the right goal for me. That being said, I’m not going to rule it out ever.

75. Spend seven consecutive days outside the United States.

Abandoning 06/10/2011. A change in my financial circumstances means I’m going to have to go on a bit of a “diet” budget wise until at least 2014 or 2015. So, this is being abandoned for the current list which ends in 2013. But it’s an important goal, and one I intend to complete within a few years of finishing school.

Project URL: http://sonria.org/project/101-in-1001

List: http://sonria.org/blog/2010/day-0-may-15-2010

I’ll admit it: I’m not feeling all that great today. But I’m not feeling so lousy that I can’t put together an update, either. It’s good to stay in practice.

21. Complete and post a three-item thankful list every day for 180 consecutive days.

I made it every day this week, which means I’m now up to twelve days.

83. Donate 100,000 grains of rice at FreeRice.com.

I added another 2,090 this week, bringing me to a total of exactly 8,000.

89. Answer the 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind.

I posted answers to question #10 and question #11 this week; #12 is still pending but will be up by the time I do the next update.

97. Make one substantive blog post per week for 26 consecutive weeks.

Definitely accomplished for this week! I also got a post up over at BenefitsFringe and I have another one just about finished up for a Monday posting.

98. Review twenty-five books.

I did the very first one this week.

101. Post progress each Saturday.

55 weeks down, 88 to go…

Next Update: http://sonria.org/blog/2011/day-393-june-11-2011

Project URL: http://sonria.org/project/101-in-1001

List: http://sonria.org/blog/2010/day-0-may-15-2010

It’s been twenty-one weeks since my last update. I think that’s a new high — or perhaps a new low. But falling off the bandwagon isn’t an excuse for not trying to get back onto it, and I have been making progress recently.

21. Complete and post a three-item thankful list every day for 180 consecutive days.

I started this on Monday, May 23, so as of yesterday I’m up to five consecutive days. I’ve already found myself going through the day looking for items to put onto the thankful list, which was something I’d intended to have happen. It’s definitely something that will help the attitude.

36. Write a real letter, sent through postal mail, each month for 12 consecutive months.

I don’t know if she got it yet, but I wrote and mailed a letter to one of my grandmothers this past week. I intend to write and mail one to the other one sometime this week. I’m not the world’s greatest at keeping up with my family (this puts it mildly), but if I can get into a habit of writing letters hopefully that will go a good way toward rectifying that.

78. Visit a butterfly garden.
81. Visit the Tennessee Aquarium.

I did not know that the “Ocean Journey” section of the Tennessee Aquarium has a butterfly garden, so I ended up completing both of these items when I visited it on May 20. It was a good visit, and the displays were interesting, but still rather pricey. I do plan to go back to Chattanooga and enjoy the riverfront area again, but I’m probably not going to fork over the admission fee again unless I can get a discount package.

83. Donate 100,000 grains of rice at FreeRice.com.

I picked up another 1,910 grains this week, testing myself on Spanish vocabulary.

89. Answer the 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind.

I answered #9 this past Thursday; answers for #10, #11 and #12 are currently in the posting queue so they’ll appear soon. In addition, it seems I inspired someone else to consider answering these questions too (though in a locked LiveJournal).

97. Make one substantive blog post per week for 26 consecutive weeks.

I’ve started and failed on this one several times, but this past week represents another start. This is definitely a “keep climbing back onto the bandwagon” item. I figure that as long as I keep climbing up, the worst I’ll get from the falls are some nasty bruises. Right?

101. Post progress each Saturday.

Here we go, but now that I’ve had as many as 21 consecutive “misses” on this, I’m wondering just how much I’ll end up owing the American Diabetes Association (see #100) when this is all over. It seems they’ll have more than a nominal amount coming.

Time to get busy with the rest of the list!

Days Left: 622 (62.14%)

Next Update: http://sonria.org/blog/2011/day-386-june-4-2011

Project URL: http://sonria.org/project/101-in-1001

List: http://sonria.org/blog/2010/day-0-may-15-2010

Happy New Year!

In my last post, I hinted that something big was going on and that it would be final by the end of 2010. Well, I made it, but just barely: it was exactly yesterday that I closed on my first home! Now, of course, I have to figure out what I’m going to do with it (well, live in it, of course, but…)

I had originally planned to spend last night over there, but when I got home after the closing, Emily turned into “velcro kitty.” I have had a lot of late nights at work recently, to the point that I’m feeling guilty, and she took full advantage of that. So I spent last night with her instead.

It didn’t prevent me from going over there a couple of times though. The first time, I met one of the neighbors. The second time, I found a big red bow tied to the door; and a few minutes later, I heard a train. That’s a sound that I find comforting, not annoying, and I’m taking all of these as good omens.

I also ended up with an unexpected project on December 22 when I was in a minor wreck. Nobody was hurt, my car wasn’t totaled, and everyone I’m working with is being great. It could have been much worse — but it’s still not exactly something I was seeking out.

The wreck did mean that I didn’t get to take the day trip to Key West that I had planned for part of this year’s Christmas at the Beach trip, but I was still able to make the trip itself. So I’m on track for that item in the list, and there are a few others that are worthy of update.

2. Complete Project 365.

It’s the first day of the year! If I get a picture taken today — and I plan to — then I will be on my way.

35. Send holiday cards each year.

All of the hubbub in December has meant I missed this one for 2010. So, the best I’m going to manage is two out of three. But I will hit that, and if I do I will prorate the amount in item #100.

72. Watch the sun rise and set on the same day.

Done on Christmas Day! And I have the pictures to prove it.

80. Visit the beach on Christmas Day each year.

Done for 2010 — the pictures are in the item above — so I’m on track.

88. Adopt two Wikipedia articles.

I made a new one on December 11. That wasn’t quite an adoption, but it served the purpose of the item so I’ll accept it. The subject is a bit depressing, but the reason I wrote it was because it wasn’t there at all, and those kids deserve to be remembered.

101. Post progress each Saturday.

The reason I know that there will be a donation to the American Diabetes Association (item #100) in 2013 is because I am missing this one so much. But I’m not entirely missing it, as seen by this post. :)

On to next week! I’m still going to have a pretty heavy one at work; those will continue for a least a little while. But I am determined that, in 2011, that won’t to prevent me from having my life.

Days Left: 769 (76.82%)

Next Update: http://sonria.org/blog/2011/day-379-may-28-2011

Today is Day 217, but this is going to be a different kind of post.

Item #73 is explore thirty new places in my local area. That’s a nice, solid idea and certainly falls into the definition of “quantifiable.” But I’ve realized that it’s not quite specific enough. Thirty new places? Great! But what are they?

I’d completely drawn a blank and at first decided to attack this by simply going someplace that sounded interesting at the time. It’s not working; I haven’t gone anywhere new in the Atlanta metro, even though I’ve gone to a lot of new places outside of it.

Instead, it’s time to make a list. Thirty places in the next 784 days (the time I have left) works out to a new place about every 26 days. I figure that if I manage one place per month, with a couple months where I do two, I should be able to finish this item.

1. Zoo Atlanta
2. Cyclorama
3. Paris on Ponce
4. Fox Theatre — I’ve seen two shows here but I’ve never really looked around the theater itself
5. High Museum
6. The Tabernacle
7. Dialog in the Dark
8. Waffle House Museum
9. Junkman’s Daughter
10. Mary Mac’s Tea Room
11. Scott Antique Market
12. Kenny’s Alley — I’ve been to Underground Atlanta, but only during the day
13. Margaret Mitchell House & Museum
14. Six Flags
15. Millennium Gate
16. Centennial Olympic Park, as I’ve never gone past the edge
17. Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area — at least five sites
18. Georgia Aquarium
19. Atlanta History Center
20. Center for Puppetry Arts
21. Cabbagetown
22. Jewish Heritage Museum
23. Castleberry Hill Art Stroll
24. Fernbank Museum
25. CNN Center
26. Georgia State Capitol
27. West End
28. Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historical Site
29. Jimmy Carter Library
30. Historic Roswell

There are a number of other Atlanta places that I can’t put on this list because they’re not “new” (i.e., I’ve been there before). But I want to go back to these places:

• Atlanta Botanical Gardens
• Piedmont Park
• Chastain Ampitheater (when it’s not raining)
• Turner Field
• Sweetwater Creek State Park 19-May-2011
• Marietta Square
• The Varsity
• Sun Dial
• Decatur Square

Next Update: http://sonria.org/blog/2011/day-232-january-1-2011