Friday, June 10, 2011

Goals for 2011

Towards the end of December, I came up with a list of goals I wanted to accomplish by the end of 2011. I hadn't looked at it since creating it, until this morning. On it, I had...

Finish writing in my first fluke book. 
Meet people, generally.
Develop a group of friends in LA.
Live in the same city as the person I am dating (engaged to?).
Incorporate exercise into my lifestyle, in whatever form(s).
Read two books a month (for fun!).
Get a grown-up job.
Read my "12 Books in 12 Months."
Pass the CA Bar Exam.
Volunteer in the legal field.
Volunteer in a non-legal field.
Design something of my own.
Take one craft course each 2-3 months.
Get pedicures every 2-3 months.
Learn to cook more vegetarian meals.
Finish Level 1 of Rosetta Stone French.
Learn Spanish!!!
Strengthen my Farsi reading and writing skills.
Learn to can and preserve food.
Do at least 1 "cultural" activity per month (i.e. museums).
Take a roadtrip to Portland.
Go to Yosemite National Park.
Visit San Diego.
Check out different movie theaters in LA - preferably historic/cook ones.
Continue to blog.
Go to 3 craft fairs/shows, i.e. Renegade.
Open an Etsy shop?
Finish/make a quilt.
Crotchet a granny square blanket.
See a great band, live.

My progress so far...

1. Finish writing in my first fluke book.
  • Done! I finished it on February 16, 2011. I started my second one on February 26th.
2. Meet people, generally.
  • I've been working on this once since Nick and I broke up in late February. I've gone to karaoke, house parties, bars, bbqs, movie nights, breakfast clubs, and book club meetups. I'm doing new things all the time!
3. Develop a group of friends in LA.
  • I definitely have a bunch of really good individual friends. Still trying to find a 'group' to join, though.
4. Live in the same city as the person I am dating (engaged to?).
  • This goal became significantly easier to reach at the end of February. Hmm, wonder why...
5. Incorporate exercise into my lifestyle, in whatever form(s).
6. Read two books a month (for fun!).

--> I'm a tiny bit behind but thus far I've read:
  • Freedom 
  • High Fidelity
  • Hunger Game Trilogy
  • Something Borrowed
  • World War Z
  • The Paris Wife
  • Breakfast at Tiffany's
  • The Girl in Hyacinth Blue
--> I'm just about done reading:
  • Interpreter of Maladies (short stories)
  • Secret Lives of People in Love (short stories)
--> I'm currently reading:
  • The Engines of God
  • Team of Rivals
7. Get a grown-up job.
8. Read my "12 Books in 12 Months."
9. Pass the CA Bar Exam.
  • Took the exam again in February 2011.
  • Find out that I passed the exam on May 13, 2011!
10. Volunteer in the legal field.
11. Volunteer in a non-legal field.
12. Design something of my own.
13. Take one craft course each 2-3 months.
14. Get pedicures every 2-3 months.
  • I went with my mom last weekend to get one. My feet were awfully blistered and calloused from my flats and wedges!
15. Learn to cook more vegetarian meals.

16. Finish Level 1 of Rosetta Stone French.
17. Learn Spanish!!!
18. Strengthen my Farsi reading and writing skills.
19. Learn to can and preserve food.
20. Do at least 1 "cultural" activity per month (i.e. museums).
  • I'm super behind on this one, though I did go to the Hammer Museum a few weeks ago.
  • I plan to go to the Huntington Museum and Gardens next week!
21. Take a road trip to Portland.
22. Go to Yosemite National Park.
23. Visit San Diego.
  • Went to PB for Memorial Day weekend with Sarah!
24. Check out different movie theaters in LA - preferably historic/cook ones.
25. Continue to blog.
  • Not as frequently as I like, but I'm still at it!
26. Go to 3 craft fairs/shows, i.e. Renegade.
27. Open an Etsy shop?
  • Not going to happen. I have little time and little interest. 
28. Finish/make a quilt.
29. Crotchet a granny square blanket.
30. See a great band, live.

Although I haven't had this list in front of me, I'm glad to say that 6 months into this new year (when the hell did that happen?!) I've actually done a number of these. I'm going to spend the rest of the year trying to do more. I doubt I'll do all of it, but I think I could do quite a number more.

Day 105: Blocking

I'm rushing to finish errands and chores before I drive home to my parents' house for the weekend. 

I soaked my Brand New Day Shawl yesterday afternoon and night and finally set it to block this morning!




I would have done so yesterday but I ended up spending the day with a friend from law school. He picked me up in the morning and then we drove to Santa Barbara for the day. Though cloudy, it was perfect walking-around-and-window-shopping weather. Sadly, I did not take any photos of State Street or the Pier. Mike did manage to snap a few shots when we stopped along the PCH on our drive back!




 We spotted dolphins (about 7 of them?), just swimming along. Less than 50 feet away from us.




I have to admit. I kinda love my life right now.
(Those are seashells and rocks in my hand, btw.)

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Day 104: Waiting to be Blocked: Brand New Day Shawl

I finished the Brand New Day Shawl I started back in mid-May, immediately after Snow White's Breakup Shawlette. 


It's currently soaking in the sink, waiting to be blocked when I get home from a drive/lunch date with an old friend from law school. It's pretty gloomy here, weather-wise, so I'll wait until a sunny day to take pictures of it and the rest of the shawls I've knit for myself. 

I know that today is not the day for it, but I can't wait until I can spend hours at the beach doing this:

Yay for summer free from studying for the bar exam!