These are NOT resolutions.

Last year, my goals were to get published, and to get a new job. I did get published in 2012 in the form of 2 short stories and a pattern, but I'd like to get something a little more substantial out there in 2013: a novel and/or a knitting book.

I am still looking for a new job.

I'm not the type of person who does resolutions. For example, if I made if my new years resolution to get into shape, you can bet that I'd spend the next six months watching tv and eating bonbons instead of lifting weights or doing yoga or whatever. I would like to start working out more, but quite honestly, it's not that important to me. I get bored. I'd rather be writing or knitting, so that's what I'm concentrating on.

Normally, I'll set a goal or two in January, then revise it on my birthday (at the end of June) and take another look in the fall, around the time I would normally go back to school--I haven't been an "adult" long enough to train myself out of thinking of September as a new beginning. I may still do that, but this year I want to try setting monthly goals, too, that will help me reach those yearly goals. So here are my goals for January:

1. Finish short story--deadline Jan. 15
2. Finish vol. 1 of TSB (current novel)
3. Get the next pattern for "Censored" prepared
4. Look into/apply for 3 jobs per week.

The short story is maybe 1/3 complete, and I'm about 1/2 done with the novel. I have the chart prepped for the pattern, but nothing written out yet. And while I only applied to one job this week, I did spend some time looking into three different work from home sites. I decided they were all dodgy and will try something else next week.

February
1. Outline vol. 2 of TSB
2. Write first chapter of TSB
3. look into/apply for 3 jobs per week
4. Get last month's pattern test knit
5. Write out next pattern
6. finish book proposal

March
1. send out book proposal
2. 2 more patterns
3. write another short story
4. Look into/apply for 3 jobs per week

April
1. last pattern
2. wrap up TSB vol. 2
3. Begin revising LIAZ.
4. Look into/apply for 3 jobs per week

I'm not going to plan any further ahead than that, since for me it's a recipe for disaster. I plan, the universe laughs. We'll see if I make it through January on schedule first, eh?

Mutterings and a thank you

How do you like my new laptop?

Click to make it bigger.

I typed that up on Saturday, when the Sterling first arrived. As yet I haven't had a chance to really play with it, since Missouri has been off for the last few days and the basement is really in no condition for much of anything yet. For starters, it's been mopped twice but still looks like a pigsty, partially the fault of the former tenants, and partially because of all the construction that had to be done down there. On the bright side, I have yet to meet any Rachnoss, so while some of their webs remain intact (every time I THINK I've gotten them all...) they seem to have abandoned our basement for greener pastures. Or darker caves, or whatever it is that giant, half-human alien spiders prefer.

It seems that all of the blogs I follow are doing retrospectives this week, but honestly, I'm not feeling the love. This is probably because at the moment I am sick AGAIN (this is is what, the sixth time this year?) and my general feeling towards 2012 is "Good riddance, don't let the door hit you on your way out." The election, partisan politics, the increase in violent crime around the country (at least in terms of mass shootings and such), and some of the natural disasters the world has suffered of late, have not helped this feeling. For my part, I'm lighting a candle and hoping we can put all of this bad juju behind us for 2013.

Some good things have happened--I got published, twice for short stories, and once for a knitting pattern; I had a knitting pattern go semi-viral (1739 downloads and counting), I was saved from near homelessness by the kindness of one of my dad's clients, and through the magic of the internet I met some fantastic people at conventions and writing meetups, and have gained both a great typewriter (or three...maybe) and lots of knowledge because of it. So all in all, not too bad, I guess.

Now pass me that Nyquill. I'm going back to bed.

Happy New Year

Normally, I don't do resolutions. But this year, I have two. Two goals that I am very determined to reach:

1. Get a new job.
2. Get published.

Please note that 1 & 2 are not mutually exclusive.

Cheers.

Keeping with tradtion

I'm not much into New Years resolutions. If you'll remember, last year my New Years Resolutions were posted on January 7, and I figure that's a good place to start this year. For me, January 1 has never meant much. It's the start of the school term that really encourages a fresh outlook, so September, mid January, and June are usually when I set my goals. Well, not so much June, but since I started college more work needs to be done during my "off" time.

Honestly, I wasn't even planning on making resolutions this year, other than "figure out what I want to do with my life" and "get a job." Then I was watching tv before bed the other night and stumbled across What I Hate About Me. I'd seen the commercials and thought it had the potential to be really good or really bad. So I watched an episode, and lo and behold, it was pretty good! If you don't know what this show is, the person they shadow for each episode picks 10 things they don't like about themselves. They can be cosmetic, health related, something about their house, or even mental/emotional issues.

The show inspired me to write a list of my own, but I took it two steps further. I wrote down ten things that I dislike about myself, and then I made a list of things I could do that might help me change them. Like, I have really bad mood swings. So I need to try to eat better and exercise more, and I'm going to try meditating. I also know that I get moody in winter when there's no sunshine, so I'm going to make an attempt to go outside for just a little bit every day. In addition, I made a list of ten things that I like about myself, like I think I have pretty good money sense when I don't let myself be influenced by others. Basically, the lists boiled down into a short list of resolutions and goals. Now remember, for me, there is a difference. A resolution is something that doesn't really have a finish line. Maybe you wake up one morning and realize that it's been achieved, but it's really something that you need to work on for a lifetime. A goal has a definitive point where you can check it off the list.

Resolutions:
Learn to ask questions--I'm very bad at this. I never know how to get more information (or even that I need it) until I'm neck deep in "what the hell am I doing?"
Get in shape
Take more risks--I'm tired of standing on the sidelines watching everyone else have fun.
Be neater--I'm a slob and I'm sick of it.

Goals:
Get published
Find a life goal

Hopefully this list goes better than last year's. I don't think I accomplished a single thing on it.

No pictures of Hermes, but I do have a funny story. He's been spending a lot of time hiding from my parent's dogs, and for the longest time we couldn't figure out where. Then last night I looked for him in the living room, and caught him climbing out of the sofa! We have a sectional with two recliners built in. The fabric on the back isn't sewn in place to allow the seat to recline. He managed to squeeze back there and was hiding in the empty space inside the seat! Clever boy, isn't he?