Update #57

Reading
79. Read 5 banned books I haven’t already read (0/5)

Still working on Animal Farm. Probably going to plow through the rest of it tonight.

Other than that, I've got nothing.

Update #56

Friends
48. Create/send 5 care packages for friends (0/5)

Washcloth is nearing completion!


Reading
79. Read 5 banned books I haven’t already read (0/5)

I didn't finish Lord of the Flies. It was too boring. I checked out Animal Farm instead.


80. Go to the library and select 5 random books I normally wouldn’t read and complete them (0/5)

Picked up The Scapegoat.

Stuffity Stuff

Food and Health
40. Try a new recipe and/or food every month (13/143)

This month is French Fry Casserole. It should be ready to eat in 10 minutes.

Friends
48. Create/send 5 care packages for friends (0/5)

Need to finish this washcloth so I can mail out her package this coming week.


Reading
79. Read 5 banned books I haven’t already read (0/5)

Going to try to finish Lord of the Flies before Monday when I have to take it back.

Update #55

Cleaning and Organizing
7. Wash dishes once a week for two months (8/8)

Go me.


Friends
48. Create/send 5 care packages for friends (0/5)

Working on one for my expecting friend. It's not much, but it's a little something that will hopefully cheer her up. :-)


Reading
79. Read 5 banned books I haven’t already read (0/5)

I'm reading Lord of the Flies. It's nothing spectacular, but it's holding my attention.


That's about it.

Reading

Reading
78. Read the following books:
• One Twilight book
• Memoirs of a Geisha
• Catcher in the Rye
• Gone With the Wind
• Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia is quite possibly one of the saddest books/movies ever. I saw the movie first, so when I read the book, I bawled for about three chapters. There towards the end, I had to take breaks between pages. But I'm a huge softie like that...


79. Read 5 banned books I haven’t already read (0/5)

Since Banned book week is coming up soon (next week, I think?), I went ahead and made a list of books I plan on reading for my goals. I've already checked out Lord of the Flies. I might start reading it tonight.

I never realized how many banned/challenged books I've read until I was looking at the list of books on the website. I've real a LOT of them, many for classes at Pikeville. That kind of makes me feel good, knowing my professors wanted us to read these books, wanted us to be exposed to these books and judge for ourselves.

However, it did make it kind of hard to find five books to read. My list is laying around here somewhere... Oh, here it is!

• Lord of the Flies
• Grapes of Wrath
• Uncle Tom's Cabin
• An American Tragedy
• Lord of the Rings

These books aren't banned everywhere, mind you, mostly just regionally. Grapes of Wrath is just banned in the area it's about because "it makes the area look bad." Right.

I have no idea why Lord of the Rings is banned, or where for that matter. How sad is it that I actually took a Tolkien class and never bothered reading a single one of his books? Oh well.

Update #54

Cleaning and Organizing
7. Wash dishes once a week for two months (7/8)

I hope to get this out of the way tomorrow.


Confidence Building
8. Be more open about being bisexual (lose this lingering shame I was taught growing up)

Worked some on this by openly talking about it to my friend when she visited.


Do Unto Others
22. Handcraft 2+ items as Christmas gifts each year (2/6)

I've already promised Connie a scarf, so I'm going to toss in a matching hat. :-) Merry Christmas, Connie! My other gift is going to be a multitude of handcrafted gifts... I won't say anymore here, but if you're curious, feel free to ask. It's a surprise and the recipient might see this blog!


Food and Health
40. Try a new recipe and/or food every month (13/143)

Oh the joys of a Chinese buffet! I tried crab cakes this time, as well as some kind of steak and mushroom dish with a sauce on it... It was weird, but yummy. I was shocked by how good the crab cakes were.


Friends
46. Send each close friend a handcrafted item (2/5)

One item in progress is for Connie, one is for Haley. The other is for the unmentioned person in Goal 22.


Reading
78. Read the following books:
• One Twilight book
• Memoirs of a Geisha
• Catcher in the Rye
• Gone With the Wind
• Bridge to Teribithia

80. Go to the library and select 5 random books I normally wouldn’t read and complete them (0/5)

I got my library card in the mail on Friday, so I'm going to the library tomorrow to see what I can find. My friend EdwArd is supposed to send me a copy of Twilight, so I'll wait on her before I go to the library for that. Yay!


Very Personal
101. ******* ** ******

Came to a good conclusion about this one. It's not accomplished yet, but hopefully soon.

Cleaning & Books

Cleaning and Organizing
7. Wash dishes once a week for two months (7/8)

Yay for me!


Reading
80. Go to the library and select 5 random books I normally wouldn’t read and complete them (0/5)

I took the stupid book back. It was terrible.It made me want to chuck it into the trash or start a bon fire with it... and I don't believe in destroying books! Seriously, I've read bad fanfiction (and bad original fiction) that was better than that crap.

Character overload and vague descriptions topped with an overly dramatic plot line is a recipe for a really lame book.

Mission Accomplished

Reading
80. Go to the library and select 5 random books I normally wouldn’t read and complete them (0/5)

I'm starting "Dad By Choice" tonight. It's pretty short, so even if it sucks, it should be a brief pain.


Shits & Giggles
91. Read a trashy romance novel all the way through

Finished it. Boy... was I disappointed. I had Larry laughing pretty hard at my book review of it. I complained that there wasn't enough sex in it to make it worth my while.

But yeah, finished it. I have no new love for romance novels.


Very Personal
100. **** * ****
101. ******* ** ******

We'll see about knocking these off the list in the near future.

Update #53

Cleaning and Organizing
7. Wash dishes once a week for two months (6/8)

Whew... I'm nearly there!


Do Unto Others
22. Handcraft 2+ items as Christmas gifts each year (2/6)

I'm working on a scarf that will hopefully be an early gift.


Friends
46. Send each close friend a handcrafted item (2/5)

I'm thinking of knitting instead of crocheting the scarves I promised Connie and Catie.


Reading
80. Go to the library and select 5 random books I normally wouldn’t read and complete them (0/5)

Picked one up today. It's some kind of medical romance/drama thing concerning the ethics of whether teens should marry if the girlfriend gets pregnant. Random enough, and I already think it's going to suck.


Shits & Giggles
91. Read a trashy romance novel all the way through

Today I picked up "Savage Thunder." It was the trashiest, cheesiest romance novel I could find on the shelf. It's about a half-Indian guy and a redheaded English duchess.

Update #34

Confidence Building
9. Wear a bikini outside (beach, pool, lake, etc.)

I'm working on finding a bikini, but so far, no luck. :-(


Friends
46. Send each close friend a handcrafted item

I'm working on Connie's scarf. It's turning out really well.


Personal Upgrades
64. Wear my hair down for one week

I just got my hair cut, so here's hoping!


65. Completely restock makeup box and throw away old stuff

Might try to do this one this week, too.


Reading
78. Read the following books:
• One Twilight book
• Memoirs of a Geisha
• Catcher in the Rye
• Gone With the Wind
• Bridge to Teribithia

Going to get my library card tomorrow.

Update #33

Confidence Building
9. Wear a bikini outside (beach, pool, lake, etc.)

I spotted a super cute bikini at Wal-Mart yesterday that I absolutely adored. I'm thinking about getting it so I can wear it when Larry and I go to Nashville at the beginning of May. :-D


Food and Health
43. Give up caffeine for 2 weeks (0/14)

I'm putting this one back on the back burner for a while. Now just isn't a good time for me.


Reading
78. Read the following books:
• One Twilight book
• Memoirs of a Geisha
• Catcher in the Rye
• Gone With the Wind
• Bridge to Teribithia

Because my upcoming trip to Nashville will consist of a lot of sitting around in the hotel while Larry's in class, I'll need books to read. I'll get my library card and see what books I can find to take with me.


Satisfying Nerdom
87. Send 3 secrets to Post Secret (0/3)

I found the postcard I want to use for one of my secrets. Now I just need the guts to put my secret on it.


Shits & Giggles
91. Read a trashy romance novel all the way through

Again, I've got a trip coming up!


Travel
96. Visit Adam and Gina in Franklin

Franklin is just 45 minutes north of Nashville, and it's about 30 minutes from Bowling Green (where we plan on going to the Corvette museum). We'll see! :-D

Weekly Update #19

Reading
78. Read the following books:
• One Twilight book
• Memoirs of a Geisha
• Catcher in the Rye
• Gone With the Wind
• Bridge to Teribithia


I finished Memoirs of a Geisha the day after I posted my last update. It was a very beautiful book, though harsh. Of course, a geisha's life was harsh and not all about tea and kimonos. I think the biggest shock I had at the differences between the movie and the book was Mameha. In the movie, she is very sweet and kind. She's also kind in the book, but... it's hard to describe. She's kind for a geisha, but she's still rather strict, and rather harsh sometimes. I guess she had to be, considering the lifestyle. :-/

I really enjoyed the book, but unlike so many people who love the book and despise the movie, I still love the movie. It's a beautiful film with a beautiful story of a little girl overcoming all the odds that were against her and having her dearest dreams come true. The cherry blossom party incident still upsets me, but I guess it's a small price to pay.

Anyway, I should really get a library card and start reading some of these other books.

Weekly Update #18

Reading
78. Read the following books:
• One Twilight book
• Memoirs of a Geisha
• Catcher in the Rye
• Gone With the Wind
• Bridge to Teribithia


Haley gave me her copy of Memoirs of a Geisha and I've positively torn through it, figuratively speaking, of course. I've already read over half of it in one day and would have probably finished it in a day if I hadn't been baby-sitting. I love the book, but I still love the movie for what it is. It's impossible to put everything in the book into an already helluva long movie.

But yes, I can has the pleased with my new book. It won't replace The Devil Wears Prada as my favorite fun-reading book, but I'm really loving this whole time warp to 1930's Japan. It's like a whole other world.

Weekly Update #13

Pets
67. Leash-train Jack and Jasper

Jack is FINALLY responding to training! *faints... like a goat* Today he actually walked from the pen and to where I wanted him to go with minimal distractions or stopping. I was so pleased with him!!!

Satisfying Nerdom
87. Send 3 secrets to Post Secret (0/3)

I have a postcard I want to draw upon and submit. Only thing is to get myself to do it and send it in.

Shits & Giggles
91. Read a trashy romance novel all the way through

I've been shopping at Goodwill for a trashy romance novel. Apparently, the 20 or so middle-aged housewives that are always lurking near the books have beat me to them all. O_o