January Goals: Review.
+ Spanish five times a week: a Chapter 3 en Harry; a unit treinta en Spanish Now.
I definitely got better at picking up Spanish again after almost completely avoiding it during December; however, I still didn't do it enough or as consistently as I would like. I did finish Chapter 2 in Harry, but only got to Unit 22 in my workbook. I'm going to try to write about any goal progress regarding Spanish actually in espanol from now on.
+ Cook something new once a week.
Okay, the first week I tried to make this rice and beans dish from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, and it was an utter disaster, so I didn't take any pictures of it, and ended up throwing half of it out. How can I fuck up rice and beans, you ask? Don't ask questions, I just did. In fact, I know Bittman is supposed to be a food god, and stuff, but nothing I've tried from his (expensive) cook book has worked out that great--it either hasn't worked at all, or it's just been really bland. I feel like to make his recipes work you like, actually have to have a lot of cooking skill, which I don't have. So anyway, for the rest of the month, I stuck to recipes from Budget Bytes, because everything I've ever tried from there is both completely doable and also tastes really good. So, in conclusion, I have decided that Beth M. is freaking awesome.
Week 2: Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes. I actually used "white sweet potatoes," which I had never even heard of before, but it was all that my grocery store had at the time. I was definitely skeptical of them, but they were definitely still really sweet. The chipotle peppers in adobe smelled SO good as soon as I opened up the can. Mmm. If anything, I would have added even more peppers than she calls for in the recipe. This was really yummy.
Week 3: (Not) Butter Chicken. It should be said, of course, that my pictures will never, ever look like Beth's do. Hah. But, this in fact was REALLY good. Even if I, nor Beth, know what to call it. The recipe also made a LOT, so I was able to use leftovers for quite a few lunches.
Week 4: Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups. Okay, this was one of the most fun things I've ever made--it was really fun rolling these things up! Yes, this may mean I need to get out more! I used some fresh spinach and some chopped broccoli. I was worried about over stuffing them, so I ended up with some leftover filling and some not-as-filled roll ups, so I won't be as conservative if I make them again. Again, these were really, really good.
+ Update Things Jill Likes six times; Daily Daffodilly fifteen.
I surpassed this one on both accounts. The best thing about this month is I got pretty pumped about really trying to write more.
+ Take Toby on a drive.
Yes, we finally did! We drove him to a park in Vancouver, WA (which ended up being almost flooded from winter rain), and then drove around the Columbia River Gorge. It was really nice and I think he was really happy. Toby. <3
+ Upload a new gallery to daffodilly.net.
Yes, completed my Cape Cod gallery, finally.
+ Get hiking blog properly up and running.
This didn't take a ton of work, but yes, I did! Now I just have to start hiking again!
+ Work out at Portland State's rec center at least once a week.
Almost. There was one week I even went twice! And another week that I didn't go to the rec center, but went for a run, which is more strenuous, anyway. It's just this last week that I didn't do anything with my lazy bones. I could blame it on this super bad cold I have going on right now, but I really didn't catch that until the weekend.
+ Finally take Lily to get her rabies vaccine (months overdue)
Yes, but near the end of the month, and I really don't think we would have gotten around to it if I didn't know I had put it on this list. Ha! This was a very happy day though, because we found out Lily has lost THREE pounds this year. This is a big deal, since she's a real fat cat, and we've been trying to have her lose weight forever, and we actually thought that she WAS losing weight, but anytime we told this to a friend they'd say, "Uh, yeah, you guys always say that. She's still fat." But three pounds is a lot in cat-weight, and our vet said she's only a pound or two away from what would be a good ideal weight. So take that, friends!
+ Write a Typetrigger, my new favorite website, at least once a week.
Whoa, to be honest, I forgot I had written this. I HAVE written at least two. (One bad thing about Typetrigger is it doesn't date anything, so there's a third I'm not sure if I wrote in Jan. or Dec.) The two I did write this month however have triggered (no pun, I just really couldn't think of another word, okay) a larger essay I'm now thinking of writing, though, so that's proof that trying to write more there is very worthwhile.
+ Read four non-school-related books.
I also surpassed this one, although many were graphic novels, and the rest were of course kids/young adult books, so were much easier to get through. But, to actually give myself credit/stop making excuses, I DID read a lot. I actually read eight books this month; be my friend on Goodreads to see which ones since I'm too lazy to type up all the titles. Ha.
+ Start riding my bike to my middle school again.
Hahahaha, no. I read my bike once, and I think it was right after I wrote these goals. I've been a lazy driver this month. Whatever, it's January. Maybe I'll get back to this goal in April or something.
+ Clean the shower. It is seriously icky.
Yes!
+ Order a new 2011 wall calendar.
Yes!
+ Have a movie date with Kathy at least once.
:( Okay, it's sad that one of the few goals I couldn't accomplish this month was this one. We tried to find time to do it last week, but even trying to find a time was stressing us out, so we just gave up. I feel like taking time out to do things like this is really important though, so I'll just up the ante for February to make up for this month.
I definitely got better at picking up Spanish again after almost completely avoiding it during December; however, I still didn't do it enough or as consistently as I would like. I did finish Chapter 2 in Harry, but only got to Unit 22 in my workbook. I'm going to try to write about any goal progress regarding Spanish actually in espanol from now on.
+ Cook something new once a week.
Okay, the first week I tried to make this rice and beans dish from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, and it was an utter disaster, so I didn't take any pictures of it, and ended up throwing half of it out. How can I fuck up rice and beans, you ask? Don't ask questions, I just did. In fact, I know Bittman is supposed to be a food god, and stuff, but nothing I've tried from his (expensive) cook book has worked out that great--it either hasn't worked at all, or it's just been really bland. I feel like to make his recipes work you like, actually have to have a lot of cooking skill, which I don't have. So anyway, for the rest of the month, I stuck to recipes from Budget Bytes, because everything I've ever tried from there is both completely doable and also tastes really good. So, in conclusion, I have decided that Beth M. is freaking awesome.
Week 2: Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes. I actually used "white sweet potatoes," which I had never even heard of before, but it was all that my grocery store had at the time. I was definitely skeptical of them, but they were definitely still really sweet. The chipotle peppers in adobe smelled SO good as soon as I opened up the can. Mmm. If anything, I would have added even more peppers than she calls for in the recipe. This was really yummy.
Week 3: (Not) Butter Chicken. It should be said, of course, that my pictures will never, ever look like Beth's do. Hah. But, this in fact was REALLY good. Even if I, nor Beth, know what to call it. The recipe also made a LOT, so I was able to use leftovers for quite a few lunches.
Week 4: Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups. Okay, this was one of the most fun things I've ever made--it was really fun rolling these things up! Yes, this may mean I need to get out more! I used some fresh spinach and some chopped broccoli. I was worried about over stuffing them, so I ended up with some leftover filling and some not-as-filled roll ups, so I won't be as conservative if I make them again. Again, these were really, really good.
+ Update Things Jill Likes six times; Daily Daffodilly fifteen.
I surpassed this one on both accounts. The best thing about this month is I got pretty pumped about really trying to write more.
+ Take Toby on a drive.
Yes, we finally did! We drove him to a park in Vancouver, WA (which ended up being almost flooded from winter rain), and then drove around the Columbia River Gorge. It was really nice and I think he was really happy. Toby. <3
+ Upload a new gallery to daffodilly.net.
Yes, completed my Cape Cod gallery, finally.
+ Get hiking blog properly up and running.
This didn't take a ton of work, but yes, I did! Now I just have to start hiking again!
+ Work out at Portland State's rec center at least once a week.
Almost. There was one week I even went twice! And another week that I didn't go to the rec center, but went for a run, which is more strenuous, anyway. It's just this last week that I didn't do anything with my lazy bones. I could blame it on this super bad cold I have going on right now, but I really didn't catch that until the weekend.
+ Finally take Lily to get her rabies vaccine (months overdue)
Yes, but near the end of the month, and I really don't think we would have gotten around to it if I didn't know I had put it on this list. Ha! This was a very happy day though, because we found out Lily has lost THREE pounds this year. This is a big deal, since she's a real fat cat, and we've been trying to have her lose weight forever, and we actually thought that she WAS losing weight, but anytime we told this to a friend they'd say, "Uh, yeah, you guys always say that. She's still fat." But three pounds is a lot in cat-weight, and our vet said she's only a pound or two away from what would be a good ideal weight. So take that, friends!
+ Write a Typetrigger, my new favorite website, at least once a week.
Whoa, to be honest, I forgot I had written this. I HAVE written at least two. (One bad thing about Typetrigger is it doesn't date anything, so there's a third I'm not sure if I wrote in Jan. or Dec.) The two I did write this month however have triggered (no pun, I just really couldn't think of another word, okay) a larger essay I'm now thinking of writing, though, so that's proof that trying to write more there is very worthwhile.
+ Read four non-school-related books.
I also surpassed this one, although many were graphic novels, and the rest were of course kids/young adult books, so were much easier to get through. But, to actually give myself credit/stop making excuses, I DID read a lot. I actually read eight books this month; be my friend on Goodreads to see which ones since I'm too lazy to type up all the titles. Ha.
+ Start riding my bike to my middle school again.
Hahahaha, no. I read my bike once, and I think it was right after I wrote these goals. I've been a lazy driver this month. Whatever, it's January. Maybe I'll get back to this goal in April or something.
+ Clean the shower. It is seriously icky.
Yes!
+ Order a new 2011 wall calendar.
Yes!
+ Have a movie date with Kathy at least once.
:( Okay, it's sad that one of the few goals I couldn't accomplish this month was this one. We tried to find time to do it last week, but even trying to find a time was stressing us out, so we just gave up. I feel like taking time out to do things like this is really important though, so I'll just up the ante for February to make up for this month.