Today was our first official store meeting. It was great to meet more of the people I'll be working with, and I love a bunch of 'em already. Awesome sign.
Today's progress, in order by number:
#1 - I'm halfway through two different socks--one in plain stockinette and another in a nice, logical pattern. The yarn for that one is pretty dark, though, so I can only work on it during the day.
#8 - Still no news, but every time my phone rings I jump.
#26 - Taken.
#83 - I got rid of a material thing today--an extra needle sizer with incorrectly milled holes. No point in keeping it, or even giving it away. Tossed.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Day 4 - Short and Sweet
Monday, April 28, 2008
Day 3 - First Completed Item
I finally get to bold an item today! It's this:
#41 - Complete 2nd grade kanji (160 characters)
I may as well bold it here too--it just looks better. -_^ Some background info: Japanese was my second major in college and I studied abroad in Osaka for a year. I love Japanese and gets lots of opportunities to speak it at home with my boyfriend. So while my listening and speaking are pretty good my reading and writing need some work. In order to pass Level 2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (#47, wouldn't you know it) you have to know 1,000 kanji, or written characters. That's about half of what Japanese people learn in school, or nearly every character from first to sixth grade.
I've studied a lot of kanji in the past, and at my peak I probably knew close to 600... but being two years out of practice really puts a damper on things. I'm closer to 400 now. My current study strategy is to read level appropriate material (3rd-4th grade at the moment) and go through the characters systematically by grade level, brushing up the ones I know and fully learning the ones I don't. So--second grade kanji, done. Third grade kanji, you're next.
To go along with this I've been going through a textbook I recently got called 小学３･４年社会自由自在 ...it's a social studies book for third and fourth graders. Not only am I learning new words ("Oooo, harbor! Breakwater!") but it's also great for getting Japanese culture and common sense into my head. There's a section on Japanese map symbols, which are totally different from ours. Another chapter gives a geography lesson about each prefecture and what goods it's famous for (Niigata = rice, if you ever wanted to know). It's the stuff that every good Japanese should know, and every bumbling American needs help with. It's been satisfying study, not to mention #48 on my list.
Okay, enough about Japanese, it's time to ask the question I know is on your mind--did I take my vitamins today? Yes. Yes I did. One more to #26. I also finished reading this week's New Yorker, but I'm not putting #10 in italics. I'd rather it feel unofficial. The moment it feels real, like an obligation, I'm going to drop the ball. Right now it's just an... experiment. ^_^
Related to #8, I called the people at a radio internship I applied to and they said decisions will be made this week. When I called the really nice guy on the other end was like, "If you don't get it, do reapply". That made me think two things. One, does he already know if I made it or not? And two, maybe this is more competitive than I thought. It was encouraging, though. New internships come up every few months, and this isn't something I'm going to give up on.
Okay, this long entry dearly needs a picture. Here's that first completed pair of socks I mentioned, for #1:
Comfort Socks in Trekking (color 62) on size 1 needles. Plain Jane.
#41 - Complete 2nd grade kanji (160 characters)
I may as well bold it here too--it just looks better. -_^ Some background info: Japanese was my second major in college and I studied abroad in Osaka for a year. I love Japanese and gets lots of opportunities to speak it at home with my boyfriend. So while my listening and speaking are pretty good my reading and writing need some work. In order to pass Level 2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (#47, wouldn't you know it) you have to know 1,000 kanji, or written characters. That's about half of what Japanese people learn in school, or nearly every character from first to sixth grade.
I've studied a lot of kanji in the past, and at my peak I probably knew close to 600... but being two years out of practice really puts a damper on things. I'm closer to 400 now. My current study strategy is to read level appropriate material (3rd-4th grade at the moment) and go through the characters systematically by grade level, brushing up the ones I know and fully learning the ones I don't. So--second grade kanji, done. Third grade kanji, you're next.
To go along with this I've been going through a textbook I recently got called 小学３･４年社会自由自在 ...it's a social studies book for third and fourth graders. Not only am I learning new words ("Oooo, harbor! Breakwater!") but it's also great for getting Japanese culture and common sense into my head. There's a section on Japanese map symbols, which are totally different from ours. Another chapter gives a geography lesson about each prefecture and what goods it's famous for (Niigata = rice, if you ever wanted to know). It's the stuff that every good Japanese should know, and every bumbling American needs help with. It's been satisfying study, not to mention #48 on my list.
Okay, enough about Japanese, it's time to ask the question I know is on your mind--did I take my vitamins today? Yes. Yes I did. One more to #26. I also finished reading this week's New Yorker, but I'm not putting #10 in italics. I'd rather it feel unofficial. The moment it feels real, like an obligation, I'm going to drop the ball. Right now it's just an... experiment. ^_^
Related to #8, I called the people at a radio internship I applied to and they said decisions will be made this week. When I called the really nice guy on the other end was like, "If you don't get it, do reapply". That made me think two things. One, does he already know if I made it or not? And two, maybe this is more competitive than I thought. It was encouraging, though. New internships come up every few months, and this isn't something I'm going to give up on.
Okay, this long entry dearly needs a picture. Here's that first completed pair of socks I mentioned, for #1:
Comfort Socks in Trekking (color 62) on size 1 needles. Plain Jane.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Day 2 - Triple Check
There's no way I'm going to keep this pace up, but it's fun while it's lasting!
I organized a little get together (#67) with my knitting friends today--we all went to Leland Tea Company and had tons of goodies. I forgot how hot in can get in there! We had lots of fun anyway. While there I tried a new tea (#21), pear caramel. I'm not sure caramel belongs in my tea, but it was a really interesting flavor. And yes, I did take my vitamins (#26). -_^
In an earlier post I figured that in order to finish on time I need to check off one item every three days. If that holds, I've done 18 days of work in 48 measly hours! It won't last, though, I know. And maybe I'm just buying myself time so I'll actually have days available so I can finish the travel-based section of my list. And while each check is roughly 1/100th of the list they're not weighted equally. Taking a vitamin does not equal buying a laptop or writing a letter in Japanese. Maybe it's like taking a test--you know how they tell you to get the easy questions out of the way first, so you can concentrate on the hard stuff? Maybe I'm doing that--blowing through the fluff.
I organized a little get together (#67) with my knitting friends today--we all went to Leland Tea Company and had tons of goodies. I forgot how hot in can get in there! We had lots of fun anyway. While there I tried a new tea (#21), pear caramel. I'm not sure caramel belongs in my tea, but it was a really interesting flavor. And yes, I did take my vitamins (#26). -_^
In an earlier post I figured that in order to finish on time I need to check off one item every three days. If that holds, I've done 18 days of work in 48 measly hours! It won't last, though, I know. And maybe I'm just buying myself time so I'll actually have days available so I can finish the travel-based section of my list. And while each check is roughly 1/100th of the list they're not weighted equally. Taking a vitamin does not equal buying a laptop or writing a letter in Japanese. Maybe it's like taking a test--you know how they tell you to get the easy questions out of the way first, so you can concentrate on the hard stuff? Maybe I'm doing that--blowing through the fluff.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Day 1 - Check, Check, and Check
There's nothing like hitting the ground running. I took my vitamins first thing this morning for #26 and finished up a pair of socks for #1 (pics later). Check, check. And here's the third check:
A big batch of pasta headed for the freezer for #20. Ken and I got our microwave only recently (I know, welcome us to the 20th century) and we've been enjoying the convenience. I used Paul Newman's Sockittome sauce (...the name was close to that) and half boxes of pasta I had lying around. Five meals all set for me.
Even though I'm not officially going for #10, I'm trying to get through this week's New Yorker in order to unofficially go for #10. -_^ The mag is currently on my desk, opened to page 26. We'll see where I am tomorrow.
A big batch of pasta headed for the freezer for #20. Ken and I got our microwave only recently (I know, welcome us to the 20th century) and we've been enjoying the convenience. I used Paul Newman's Sockittome sauce (...the name was close to that) and half boxes of pasta I had lying around. Five meals all set for me.
Even though I'm not officially going for #10, I'm trying to get through this week's New Yorker in order to unofficially go for #10. -_^ The mag is currently on my desk, opened to page 26. We'll see where I am tomorrow.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Getting Started
Going through my list several things catch my eye. First of all--am I going to be okay with so many long term projects? What if I hate knitting socks a year from now? Will I really be able to do all that cooking? I planned for everything to be doable (no "floss everyday (0/1001)" for me!) but still.
I'm going to get one of the long term projects, #26 - Take vitamins every day for a month, started right away. I'm also nearly done with a pair of socks, so that'll knock one off of #1 - Complete 40 pairs of socks. Tomorrow I think I'll make some pasta to freeze, which will be a start on #20 - Make and freeze meals ahead of time. Some of the long term goals are tempting (#10, I'm looking at you) but I don't want to burn myself out by taking on too much too soon.
If you space everything out, 101 in 1001 is roughly one item every 10 days. But when you count up all the multiples in my list (like those 40 pairs of socks) it's more like one item every three days. Eeep. Time to get started!
I'm going to get one of the long term projects, #26 - Take vitamins every day for a month, started right away. I'm also nearly done with a pair of socks, so that'll knock one off of #1 - Complete 40 pairs of socks. Tomorrow I think I'll make some pasta to freeze, which will be a start on #20 - Make and freeze meals ahead of time. Some of the long term goals are tempting (#10, I'm looking at you) but I don't want to burn myself out by taking on too much too soon.
If you space everything out, 101 in 1001 is roughly one item every 10 days. But when you count up all the multiples in my list (like those 40 pairs of socks) it's more like one item every three days. Eeep. Time to get started!
101 in 1001
Jumping on the bandwagon. Day Zero popularized this meme and, being a lover of lists, I'm going to give it a go.
I've tried to make everything as concrete and doable as possible with it still being a stretch. If some things become impossible due to unforeseen circumstances (like moving cross country) I'll revise the list.
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).
Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
Start date: April 26, 2008
End date: January 22, 2011
Kazen's 101 in 1001
Craft
1. Complete 40 pairs of socks (0/40)
2. Design a sock
3. Give a pair of socks to someone other than my mom
4. Start and complete Irtfa'a shawl
5. Knit or crochet 20 dishcloths or tawashi (0/20)
6. Complete a lace scarf
7. Try spinning
Work
8. Get gainful employment in radio or Japanese
9. Take a 4-5 day "omg I need a break" vacation twice a year (0/5)
Media
10. Read the New Yorker the week I get it for 8 weeks straight (0/8)
11. Watch 20 documentaries (0/20)
12. Get through my entire podcast folder once
13. Back up important files to external hard drive
14. Review 10 pieces on PRX (0/10)
15. Do one narrator-less piece
16. Do one "sound art" piece
Food
17. Try 20 new recipes (0/20)
18. Make 10 new cookies/treats (0/10)
19. Get the oven working
20. Make and freeze meals ahead of time (0/20)
21. Try 10 new teas (0/10)
22. Find 3 wines I like (0/3)
Health
23. Go ice skating 3 times (0/3)
24. Get my annual exam (0/2)
25. Do the fasting blood test
26. Take vitamins every day for a month (0/30)
27. Take an intro to ballet class
28. Stretch nightly for one month (0/30)
29. Get an eye exam and new glasses
30. Go veggie for one week
31. Get a simple manicure
Finance
32. Check credit score once a year (0/3)
33. Donate to Glide
34. Become a member of KQED
35. Grow savings account to "x"
36. Get out of SIP plan
37. Move checking account to a better bank
38. Update info at work
39. Join the ACLU
40. Donate to a political campaign
Japanese
41. Complete second grade kanji (160 characters)
42. Complete third grade kanji (200 characters)
43. Complete fourth grade kanji (200 characters)
44. Complete fifth grade kanji (185 characters)
45. Complete sixth grade kanji (181 characters)
46. Take level 2 JLPT
47. Pass level 2 JLPT
48. Finish 社会 textbook
49. Interpret for someone (ただでもいい)
50. Take another class at Soko Gakuen
51. Write 10 bilingual blog posts (0/10)
52. Get a Japanese magazine subscription
53. Write a letter to Ken's grandmother
Shopping
54. Buy a laptop
55. Buy a rice cooker
56. Find another pendant I love
57. Buy a nice nightgown
58. Procure a fitting black necklace cord
59. Get fitted for a bra
60. Buy 2 threadless t-shirts (0/2)
61. Buy a furniture upgrade that I love
62. Buy a DS game in Japanese
63. Go to Rainbow Grocery
Entertainment
64. Go to 7 different museums (0/7)
65. See 3 plays (0/3)
66. Entertain as best my dinky apartment will allow (0/5)
67. Organize get togethers with my friends (0/5)
68. Get out to see a movie (0/5)
69. See a sit down concert
70. Visit a planetarium
71. Try 20 new restaurants (0/20)
72. Enjoy a "me" lunch (0/15)
73. Go to 5 "only in SF" events (0/5)
74. Attend a rock concert
75. Have a full on Movie Night with Ken
76. Have a sleepover with "Girl's Night"
77. Celebrate a summer solstice
78. Play a board game with friends
79. Go to a hands-on science museum
Betterment
80. Volunteer for 3 different organizations (0/3)
81. Send mom a b-day "care package"
82. Move
83. Get rid of 101 material things (0/101)
84. Memorize a poem
85. Learn 5 constellations (0/5)
86. Vote (0/3)
Travel
87. Return to Japan
88. Visit a foreign country other than Japan or Canada
89. Visit a state I've never been to
90. Visit an aquarium
91. Visit a beach for more than a day
92. Travel somewhere with Ken
93. Go to a service at Glide
94. Go to an amusement park
95. Visit WEBS again
96. Go on an Alcatraz night tour
97. Go to a drive-in
98. Go to an SF beach
99. Go on an SF walking tour
100. Go to Western Canada
101. Go to NYC
I've tried to make everything as concrete and doable as possible with it still being a stretch. If some things become impossible due to unforeseen circumstances (like moving cross country) I'll revise the list.
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).
Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
Start date: April 26, 2008
End date: January 22, 2011
Kazen's 101 in 1001
Craft
1. Complete 40 pairs of socks (0/40)
2. Design a sock
3. Give a pair of socks to someone other than my mom
4. Start and complete Irtfa'a shawl
5. Knit or crochet 20 dishcloths or tawashi (0/20)
6. Complete a lace scarf
7. Try spinning
Work
8. Get gainful employment in radio or Japanese
9. Take a 4-5 day "omg I need a break" vacation twice a year (0/5)
Media
10. Read the New Yorker the week I get it for 8 weeks straight (0/8)
11. Watch 20 documentaries (0/20)
12. Get through my entire podcast folder once
13. Back up important files to external hard drive
14. Review 10 pieces on PRX (0/10)
15. Do one narrator-less piece
16. Do one "sound art" piece
Food
17. Try 20 new recipes (0/20)
18. Make 10 new cookies/treats (0/10)
19. Get the oven working
20. Make and freeze meals ahead of time (0/20)
21. Try 10 new teas (0/10)
22. Find 3 wines I like (0/3)
Health
23. Go ice skating 3 times (0/3)
24. Get my annual exam (0/2)
25. Do the fasting blood test
26. Take vitamins every day for a month (0/30)
27. Take an intro to ballet class
28. Stretch nightly for one month (0/30)
29. Get an eye exam and new glasses
30. Go veggie for one week
31. Get a simple manicure
Finance
32. Check credit score once a year (0/3)
33. Donate to Glide
34. Become a member of KQED
35. Grow savings account to "x"
36. Get out of SIP plan
37. Move checking account to a better bank
38. Update info at work
39. Join the ACLU
40. Donate to a political campaign
Japanese
41. Complete second grade kanji (160 characters)
42. Complete third grade kanji (200 characters)
43. Complete fourth grade kanji (200 characters)
44. Complete fifth grade kanji (185 characters)
45. Complete sixth grade kanji (181 characters)
46. Take level 2 JLPT
47. Pass level 2 JLPT
48. Finish 社会 textbook
49. Interpret for someone (ただでもいい)
50. Take another class at Soko Gakuen
51. Write 10 bilingual blog posts (0/10)
52. Get a Japanese magazine subscription
53. Write a letter to Ken's grandmother
Shopping
54. Buy a laptop
55. Buy a rice cooker
56. Find another pendant I love
57. Buy a nice nightgown
58. Procure a fitting black necklace cord
59. Get fitted for a bra
60. Buy 2 threadless t-shirts (0/2)
61. Buy a furniture upgrade that I love
62. Buy a DS game in Japanese
63. Go to Rainbow Grocery
Entertainment
64. Go to 7 different museums (0/7)
65. See 3 plays (0/3)
66. Entertain as best my dinky apartment will allow (0/5)
67. Organize get togethers with my friends (0/5)
68. Get out to see a movie (0/5)
69. See a sit down concert
70. Visit a planetarium
71. Try 20 new restaurants (0/20)
72. Enjoy a "me" lunch (0/15)
73. Go to 5 "only in SF" events (0/5)
74. Attend a rock concert
75. Have a full on Movie Night with Ken
76. Have a sleepover with "Girl's Night"
77. Celebrate a summer solstice
78. Play a board game with friends
79. Go to a hands-on science museum
Betterment
80. Volunteer for 3 different organizations (0/3)
81. Send mom a b-day "care package"
82. Move
83. Get rid of 101 material things (0/101)
84. Memorize a poem
85. Learn 5 constellations (0/5)
86. Vote (0/3)
Travel
87. Return to Japan
88. Visit a foreign country other than Japan or Canada
89. Visit a state I've never been to
90. Visit an aquarium
91. Visit a beach for more than a day
92. Travel somewhere with Ken
93. Go to a service at Glide
94. Go to an amusement park
95. Visit WEBS again
96. Go on an Alcatraz night tour
97. Go to a drive-in
98. Go to an SF beach
99. Go on an SF walking tour
100. Go to Western Canada
101. Go to NYC
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