Just a few days before 2011 began, I made some resolutions.
The usual, losing weight, was at the top of the list. That's the only one I can remember right now. That may be why it actually happened. I haven't reached my goal weight...but the year's not over yet. I did lose 20 unwanted, unneeded pounds and found a new love for getting up early and dancing my rear-end off at 6 a.m. for an hour. Too bad the Zumba class is only offered two mornings a week. And I discovered that an iPod is a powerful tool. Using an app for My Fitness Pal to log in my goals, achievements, and calorie counts made all the difference. Trimming calories in turn trimmed my appetite and thus my body. I haven't used the app for a couple of months now, but it certainly helped in the thick of it...no pun intended. Now I exercise because it makes me feel happy during the rest of the day, something that my brain and body crave.
So, new year resolutions aside, what has been accomplished this year so far?
I took a statistics class. And got an A. THAT is a huge accomplishment. Not to mention that I was sick with the flu for a week and missed some critical points in class but had to figure them out on my own. The only reason I took the class is because I had planned out my school career years ago and this class was listed as a prerequisite for a required class for my minor. A week into the class, I met with my advisor and he asked, "Why statistics?" When I told him why, he said that he'd never seen it as a prerequisite for any other class. Instead of transferring out, I decided (against my instincts) to stick with it. I took this class because I chose to take it, not because I had to take it. And it was incredible! It opened my eyes to studies and science in a new and invigorating way. And it showed me that math and science are not outside of my realm of understanding, the way I'd always thought before. It stretched me in new ways, and I feel a tiny bit smarter now. Plus, isn't "statistics" fun to say?
Another great accomplishment for me in another class: I took a costume tech class and made a jacket from scratch! I don't even know how many hours I spent on it. A hundred? Maybe more? I spent several of those hours on the verge of tears. Doing that project taught me something I didn't realize it did. I have made several dresses and done countless sewing projects throughout my life, but a lot of the time I just don't read (or follow) all of the directions because I'm so concerned with getting it done NOW that I haven't taken the time to enjoy each step as it occurs. And then I hate it and want nothing to do with it when I'm done! A lady I spoke with as I was finishing up the jacket put my tactics perfectly: "I wasn't a perfectionist while I was making it, but I was a perfectionist when I saw the final results." The jacket required a series of steps we had gone over during the course of the class, and I was really concerned with impressing my teacher, so I took each step seriously. When the jacket was complete and the class was over, I started making a dress. The difference in my sewing habits now versus my "previous life" is like I'm a new person! I actually enjoy each step and don't mind taking the time to redo mistakes, because that's all part of the process of creating something I'm proud of.
Something else that I've accomplished is composing music for a video game. I never thought I would do something like that. I can barely play the piano and know barely any music theory and had to learn some new software programs and lingo in order to do it. But my husband, being the kind of encouraging man he is who believes in me even when I don't, asked me if I would make music (and do sound effects) for his Apple iPad app, "Explore With Farmer Jon." I wanted to help out with the game and said I'd give it a shot. And it's been SO FUN! Look for the app on iPad, soon on iPod and iPhone, and some other games that will be sort of offshoots of this game, particularly "Egg Drop." And when you hear the music, you'll know where it came from!
There's probably more stuff that's happened, but I can't think of much else at the moment. I'll try to fill the blog with more things, but I can't promise I'll be too diligent. Life is full and exciting, and my brain can't remember that I have a blog when it should remember I have a blog.
