I really need to be better at updating ._.

I updated my 101 in 1001 list, finally. I had been slacking in updating (and in posting about what I have done, as well!).

We took my Dad up to the Neil Armstrong Museum for his birthday, one of the places on our list, so I can check off one of the "visit 10 places in Ohio"...next stop: who knows? Maybe someplace over labor day weekend.

Also, I am in the process of looking for a job, but I was not anticipating the economy being this bad, and have only even managed to get one interview (yes, ONE interview in almost 9 months!!! T_T) so that is a bit out of my control. :( The "get a credit card" is also out of my control, because neither of us have credit history and so we CAN'T get a credit card and we don't really feel like freezing $5000 for a year. Argh. Maybe if I can find a job.

But we did finally start working on our Budget App, using MVC (which is cool) and NHibernate (which is cool but NHibernateRepository is causing problems, which is not cool).

I have also been studying for the MCTS, and am currently through chapter 11 so I should be taking the test by the end of next month, then I can go on to study the services book and the web app book as well. Then I can be a MCP too! ^_^

I have also been crafting a lot lately, making cool stuff for Syd's cube and for our new apartment which is love. <3 I recently made fish decals for the bathroom, and they are awesome. I am dying to do the study but I am going to have to order stuff from Amazon first. White walls get kinda boring after a while, and we don't even have any art or photos up yet (and last week I broke the only photo frame we had out! D:). Also I am knitting on a hoodie (Riding to Avalon by Connie Chang Chinchio, from Interweave's KnitScene, Fall 2008) for the SKC KAL...I really wanted to knit the Apres Surf Hoodie (same designer) but Elann.com is all out of the yarn I wanted to use in the color...and the original yarn is discontinued and I can't find the color I want in a yarn that I want (I don't want an all or mostly wool yarn because I do not want the Apres Surf Hoodie to be too hot).

There are so many things that I want to do but I just end up either not having the time to do or not having the money to do. It is kind of frustrating, actually. This mostly includes electronic projects from Make, Instructibles, and Switch Craft, but also includes anything that requires a sewing machine or button machine. :P

Yeah so I should stop wasting time and finish coloring in my shrinky dinks. Yep.

Coming later this week: Daring Baker's August Challenge! Which has yet to be baked! ^^'

Movie Nights

Movie #1: Monsters vs. Aliens
Very enjoyable. We were the only people in the theater, which was nice, and the movie is very cute. Had to laugh when Susan tells her mom on her wedding day that she was "hit by a meteor!" and her mom replies "That's normal, dear, everyone feels that way on their wedding day!" (side note: I did not!) Not as inspired as any Pixar movie, nor even as good as Shrek or Madagascar or Bolt, but still very enjoyable and fun.

Movie #2: Fast & Furious 4
Yay! Very much as good as the earlier Fast & Furiouses...not sure what the subtitle for this one was, it should actually be F&F 1.5 or something. But anyways, very hot cars. And a very good plot, actually. Same cast (for the most part) as the original. If you like awesomely tricked out cars and racing...this is definitely a must-see. On a side note...omg Vin Diesel has waaaaaaaaaay too much muscle. It's scary.

Various Updates

I haven't been very good at writing blog posts lately, unfortunately. :\ I am ashamed. :P

I finally finished that darn pearl necklace! Well, it still needs fray check to seal the knots, but that is about it. :D I got rather down to the wire with the length of silk thread left over, but I made it. So now I have a matching necklace & bracelet of tiny white pearls.

I'm still working on the Mystic Star KAL. I want to buy some more yarn to dye, but I haven't decide what yet. I'm planning on casting on to knit a goldfish or something cute to work on in the car because I don't have any mobile projects at the moment, and it is bugging me.

I have a long to-do list this week. :(

I also knit myself a pair of Evenstar fingerless gloves, in yarn that I dyed, a very bright (but pretty) shade of purple. I would like to knit more gloves, but the ones that I really want to knit I need a different weight of yarn for (and I want to dye the yarn for that myself).

I have been working on the ASP.NET video tutorials, and I am making good progess.

Mid-Week Updates

Illustration Friday - Climbing

This has been a pretty annoying week. :\ I just have not been feeling well all week...Wednesday was the only day I felt halfway decent, and it was also the only day that I got anything done.

I hate feeling bad and knowing that there is stuff that I want to do that I just don't feel good enough to bother with. Sigh.

The Last Lecture - Review

First non-fiction book.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow

This was an interesting book, and a quick read. I did find it just a bit depressing, although I don't think that was the intent. The book is basically a series of life lessons as told by Randy Pausch, about how to live your child hood dreams and use your time wisely. There were many funny anecdotes, as well as some interestings tidbits of information. However, no matter how many people tell you how (even so gently as this) to live your life, it is still your life to live, to have, and to waste. While one can be inspired by stories such as the late Mr. Pausch's, it is infitely harder to change your own life. Essentially, these types of life lessons must be learned the hard way - through trial, and error, and a lot of mistakes.

All that said, I did enjoy the book, and it was a very quick read.

Friday Fun

Sooooo I woke up this morning and watched Wives & Daughters, Part 3...I love that series. And the book, as well. And I knitted while watching, I am almost to the point with the white skirt that I can cast off a bunch on the ends and just fill in the middle, which will hopefully make it go faster? A little bit cheating, but I don't really want to knit the whole underskirt. XD

What else did I do? I played DDR for a while. I emailed my husband <3. I looked at acid dyes. I'm still waiting on my yarn to ship, I don't think I am going to be able to begin the KAL on Monday...oh well, I will just have to catch up. I should probably stop by Hobby Lobby this afternoon and buy a circluar needle, size..um...4? I think? O_O 3.25 mm?

And then I cleaned house. I dusted the living/dining/study room, and the bedroom, and I vacuumed the living/dining/study roomed, and mopped the bedroom and the kitchen. And I cleaned the bathroom. >.< And now I am tired. But at least I am so far keeping up with my 101 in 1001 goal to clean the house every week! It still looks too full of stuff...but I guess it is! XD

Next week I need to try a new dessert (creme brulee, I think) and a new candy (not sure what...I realllly want to make homemade Aero bars but I don't have a whipping canister and I don't think I really want to buy one just now?). I reaaaaaaaaally want to make geeky cookies or cupcakes (or both). I saw a how-to for pixel cookies, which looks really fun and amusing, and I also kind of want to do Star Wars themed cupcakes (with mini edible lightsabers!!!). So...we'll see if either of those happen next week.

I need to start applying for jobs. I am stumped as to where to apply, however. :\

Okay got to get on with it, I've got lots to do this afternoon and not much time to do it!

Illo Fri - Contained

Illo Fri challenge posted on drawingpoint. Yay.

Contained

Hmmm what shall I do this morning? I have absolutely no idea. At all. Whatsoever. >.<

January New Main Dish

So last night for dinner I made "Fish Fromage", which is a fish - and - cheese (as the name implies) casserole. I have never made it before...actually I don't really do casseroles very often! ^^' But Syd requested this, and it is good. It actually turend out well, which is surprising...often things I make don't turn out quite right the first time. Ah well, I try. And usually the second time I can cut down on the amount of time that it actually takes to make it!

So this morning I worked on my French Beaded Golden Snitch. It's not quite done (the center is done, as is half a wing :P) but it is getting there. I just used beads that I already had on hand, but the colors are pretty good. I bougth them this summer to build up my bead stash, which is made up primarily of blues and greens and a few purples and I was trying to get some more variety in there :P, and then never used them (ended up busy, going back to classes, etc, so...things kind of stopped getting done?). But they were perfect for this project! Yay!

I think DDR killed me...seriously. Ow. And I still want to work on poi, and figure out a poi song and actually start on a poi routine. Yeah. I need more moves to have a good routine, though. I don't feel like I am progressing much, and I am trying to change that, but...it is hard? :P

I also want to start scanning some of my bead and knitting projects/patterns and storing them in PDF files. I haven't figured out yet how to actually arrange them yet...by magazine issue? By project type? >.< I have no idea...

I'm going to make my husband chocolates again this afternoon, and maybe make some muffins too. ^_^ Too bad I can't eat the muffins! I'm fixing chili soup for dinner tonight (which is, technially, also a "new main dish"...uses a new chili recipe that I have been meaning to try for ages), I think, which shouldn't take terribly long.

Man, I still need to clean the bedroom. Sigh.

And I still need to knit, needlepoint, and ummm stuff. Yeah. At least we finally orderd from amazon last night, I am excited for my new bellydance DVDs to arrive! YAY! And a yoga stretch workout! I need to stretch, I have lost a lot of my flexibility and would like to get it back for dance class.

And I also need to color/finish my IlloFriday pic...gah! >.<

And I just want to sleeeeeeeeeeep. -_-

101 in 1001

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

The Key:
Items in bold are headings/general info/categories
Items in italics are items in progress, with date begun and/or progress listed
Items in strikethrough are items that have been completed, with end date and link to corresponding blog post.

Heck, maybe eventually I'll feel like making my list pretty colored! :P

The Info:
So I have way too many things to do. Seriously! I can't even fit them all in a 101 list...so I left off most of the things that I think will not happend in the next two years, or chose between several things (trips to places) because even though some of the things in one category may be completed in two years, all of them cannot be (applies to things like travel). Oh, and I'm super indecisive so I may change/modify my list as I see fit...to add things or whatever. XD

Home
1) cook one new main dish a month (10/33)
2) cook one new bread/pastry a month (10/33)
3) cook one new dessert a month (10/33)
4) cook one new candy a month (10/33)
5) embroidered set(s) of napkins, placemats, and tea towels - penguin & fish, Spring/Easter, Summer, Fall/Halloween, Winter/Christmas (0/4 sets)
6) dust, vacuum, and generally pick up the house once a week, regularly (40/143)
7) do a more thorough cleaning once every spring and fall (2/6)
8) decorate house for all major holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Fourth of July, Valentine’s Day, Easter) (4/14)
9) make home/apartment pretty – themed bathroom, just generally nice
Love
10) return to the Inn at Versailles for our honeymoon at least once
11) make/buy random “I love you” presents
12) Take random lessons or classes with Syd (archery, pottery, karate, whatever)
13) Make something that he requests every other week week (or surprise him) (30/171)
14) Do things together
a. Build a Kite (& fly it)
b. Build at least one thing from one issue of Make magazine
c. Put a puzzle together
15) Go see a movie (in theaters) at least four times a year (10/10)
16) Go bowling together
17) Go ice skating together
Exercise, Health, & Beauty
18) only eat out on dance nights (Thurs/Sun) and Saturday morning
19) Eat more fruits and vegetables (work up to 5/day)
20) Get weight down to 155 and keep it there (7/10)
a. buy new clothes to celebrate!
b. continue losing until 145 or 150, if possible :)
21) Start & Complete 100 push up challenge
22) Start flexibility workout (yoga?)
23) Learn to braid hair, easily: On hold, because the front of my hair is shorter than the rest now and it doesn't work to braid it :(
a. French braid
b. Lace braid
c. Fishtail braid
d. at least one crown braid
e. one braid with ribbon(s)
24) Buy a Hoopnotica hoop and video
25) Learn more poi moves…one a week? (1/143)
a. complete the Encyclopoidia (2/???)
b. work with The Scales Of Poi, as much as possible (0/???)
Travel & Adventure
26) visit South Africa next Christmas
27) Do things on our list of places to visit in Ohio (1/10)
28) Go places for the weekend
a. Aunt Jackie's
b. Springfield, Il.
c. NYC
d. Chicago
29) Take Dad to Gettysburg for re-enactment
30) Take Mom to Florida to SeaWorld & Discovery Cove
31) Return to St. Louis and actually be able to go places :P
32) Go to New Zealand
33) Go to the Tucson bead show (or just to Tucson?)
34) Use free flight tickets to go somewhere fun on a weekend
35) Go for a Hot Air Balloon Ride
36) Go skydiving (indoor or actual…whatever!)
37) Crew or ride on a tall ship
38) Ride in a Waco Plane with Syd!
39) Reapply for a passport!
Educational
40) Buy RosettaStone learning language course thingies for any/all of the following:
a. French
b. Spanish
c. Chinese
d. Arabic
41) Learn Afrikaans – vocab sheet/week, or vocab specific to things we are going to go do
42) Read 50 books on my list of classics that I need to read (2/50)
43) Subscribe to magazines – Make Magazine, PC Format, 3D World, ?
44) Read at least 5 non-fiction books a year (2/13)
45) Study engineering and create cool stuff (then start a company, etc…)
46) Participate in NaNoWriMonth
47) Continue practicing French at home – watch Disney movies in French, read French blogs, etc
48) Continue to take random classes
Financial
49) Find a job! Completed Sept 30, 2009!
50) Save money in a separate savings account just for travel/trips
51) Save half of my salary in a personal retirement account
52) Go through bank & credit card statements each month when they arrive (0/33)
53) Get a credit card?
Programming & Computers
54) create professional 2.0 website with content
55) Post random blogs/tutorials on geeky computer stuff
56) Game programming
a. Hobbit Game
b. Thumbwiggle Games
c. 3-D Pirate game
d. 3-D world?
e. Agricola Test game
f. Settlers Test game
g. Stargate game
h. Jock game
57) Reminder program
58) Budgeting program
59) Continue to make 3-D models
60) …And 3-D shorts
61) Compile a demo reel
62) Go through computer files
63) Go through computer favorites
64) Back up computer onto external hdd
65) Read computer magazines to stay on top of “the industry”
a. CoDe Magazine
b. 3D World Magazine
66) Build a super powerful desktop computer from scratch!
67) Become an MCP
68) Make a pretty desktop background for Syd, with custom icons
Arts & Crafts
69) Use art prompt program to create artwork with Syd
70) Airbrush!
71) Knitting
a. Knit Syd’s sweater
b. Learn to knit socks
c. Knit lace shawls as gifts – Mom, Ma, ?
d. Knit baby present for Tammy & Rose Completed July 2009
e. Learn to Dye my own Yarns
f. Knit fingerless gloves Completed March 2009
g. Knit at least 10 finished objects (6/10) - plush elephant, plush fish, plush giraffe, fingerless gloves, purple dress, riding to avalon hoodie,
h. Design my own pattern(s)
72) Beading
a. Fire Armlets
b. Golden Snitch Flowers
c. Lavender flowers
d. Beaded pine cones
e. Projects from magazines
f. Monet cuff
g. Chinese coin bracelet, again
h. That Darn Pearl Necklace - Finished February 2009
i. Design my own pattern(s) and submit to magazine(s)
73) Needlecrafts
a. Finish butterfly pillow
b. Begin second pillow
c. Witty/Funny cross-stitch
i. Mario themed
ii. Geek themed
iii. Disney Shorts
d. Petit Point Pattern?
e. Create Disney Princess Dancing patterns?
74) Book Binding
a. Use the book from Irene, make random books for fun!
b. Learn to bind proper books, and bind Syd & my chat logs and emails
75) Lampworking
a. Make at least one SET of beads/month (0/33)
b. Learn and experiment with new techniques
c. Buy a kiln…
d. ..sell beads
e. ..& participate in Beads of Courage
76) Organization
a. Organize craft/art supplies
b. Scan magazine, etc patterns and organize in pdf format. (20/42, est.)
77) Jewelry Making (not beading)
a. Find some place to continue taking silver jewelry lessons
b. Or a studio to rent
c. Make some chain maille pieces
d. Make some wire pieces (not chain maille)
e. Keep design sketches while waiting for opportunity to continue silver lessons/studio space
78) Other
a. Shrinky dinks
b. Perler beads
c. Candle making
d. Soap making
e. Clothes/Costume making & altering – fire corset, princess dress, ballroom costumes ???
f. Learn to woodcarve?
g. Perfume making
79) Drawing
a. Use copic markers more!
b. Do every Illustration Friday Prompt (6/143)
c. Keep design sketchbook and actually use it…(fill an entire sketchbook with designs)
d. Art100 Challenge (0/100)
e. FanArt100 Challenge (0/100)
f. OCArt100 Challenge (0/100)
g. Illustrate an entire book (The Three Musketeers?)
h. Learn to draw all Disney "princesses", Disney style + my style & their expressions (0/12?)
80) Scrapbooking
a. Get caught up!
b. And then stay up-to-date
81) Home Geekiness
a. Create stuff to decorate house/apartment/cubicle with
b. Create cool magnets (stargate, mario, ?)
Dance
82) Become proficient in Latin dances, then go to Latin club(0/5)
a. Mambo
b. Salsa
c. Chacha
d. Jive
e. Samba
83) Continue dance lessons (aka, still be dancing at the end of 1001 days)
84) Actually PRACTICE outside of class >.> once a week?
85) Go to at least one or two dances a month (1/143)
86) Do at least two exhibitions a year (3/5)
87) Learn quickstep & Viennese waltz well enough to dance at Arbor Hall (0/2)
88) Compete for first time?
89) Create costumes to wear at one of the exhibitions!
90) Take pole dancing lessons because it looks fun
91) Take bellydance lessons or learn bellydance from videos
92) Take any other dance lessons (Chinese Folk Dance, ballet, etc?) that I can
Geekery
93) Make Xbox pretty colors (& matching controllers)
94) Make geeky crafts/clothes/stuff
95) Make geeky foods (for Syd to take in to work?) (0/12)
(see “make custom desktop”, and “build projects from Make magazine”)
Other, Random
96) Learn modeling, balloon, and coin tricks for fun ^_^
97) Volunteer at aquarium, if possible
98) Send care packages, at least 5/year (4/13)
99) Send cards for holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries (using reminder program)
100) Blog about each item on the list as it is in progress/completed
101) Celebrate each completed item in the list, the end date of the list and create a new one!!

from Thursday, January 8, 2009 to Thursday, October 6, 2011.

Almost fall break and I'm falling apart.

Well, I was working on a 101 in 1001 list, but I seem to have lost it, so I suppose I will have to re-write it sometime. It didn't have 101 things on it, anyways...

It's not like I don't have 101 things that I want to do, I just know it is imposible to do all of those things in 1001 days. Like...all the traveling I want to do. I would have to spend the entire 1001 days traveling, and I have neither the time nor the money for that, so I have to narrow it down. And that is (sadly) only one example.

I'm so frustrated right now. I have this one professor, had him last semester as well, who is just really really bad at teaching. And I am not the only one who thinks so. Nearly everyone else agrees (well...everyone, actually, at least to my knowledge). I'm really not even sure why I am trying any more. The stuff that he teaches should NOT be that hard (200-level CS courses, I have had several 300-level courses as well as difficult math courses, that have been NO problem). And I have the feeling that with a competent prof it wouldn't be that hard. I mean, maybe I wouldn't get an A...a B or something. But still. Trying really hard and still doing terribly is awful. I am at the point where I just want to stop trying, and all I am trying for at the moment is a D anyways. Argh.

On top of that, the rear tire blew out yesterday on Syd's way home from work, I don't know how he didn't crash the car. O_O That added complications to stuff yesterday and today, and on top of it Syd is feeling sick. :(

I have my three rings due tomorrow for jewelry class. Not too worried about that, though. At least this weekend is fall break. I'm just hoping that I don't get sick...that would be terrible. :( And probably likely...*sigh*

I need to work on my animation desperately. But I am either just trying to stay caught up with my other four classes or so exhausted (I bloody HATE fall allergies) that I just am not getting to it.

And to top it all off I STILL haven't cast on for the last third of mon petit chou! T_T It's been like two weeks...that's just sad, I am so close to being done (I probably would be done if I had cast on two weeks ago) and I still haven't finished seaming my first sweater. And the yarn still hasn't come in for Syd's sweater. Thinking of attempting to knit that for the knitting equivalent of NaNoWriMo.

So all in all I'm kind of in a depressed mood, which is bad, considering that fall break is this weekend...I should be in a good mood, looking forward to it, my three tests are (mostly) behind me, etc...but...meh. :\