12) Master 10 lunch recipes (0/10) Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad; Mediterranean Pasta Salad; Red Kidney Bean Soup with Lime Yogurt
Serena and I made Red Kidney Bean Soup with Lime Yogurt on Tues night. We discovered that the recipes at World's Healthiest Foods really call for teaspoons when they say tablespoons, at least when it comes to spices. Serena cooks for a living so she's an authority. We cut down every spice but garlic, so we had really garlicky soup. But yummy none the less. The yogurt is a particular treat.
64) Schedule appointment to see if you qualify for Laser Eye Surgery; if yes, begin saving for and have procedure; if no, contacts appointment on 5/26/07; contact fitting on 5/30/07
So I'm not yet a great candidate for LASIK because my eyes have changed and my pupils are huge. I also have an astigmatism, though that's not so much an obstacle anymore as a factor. My eyes probably changed due to my staring at a computer screen all day, both here and at Hollywood on busy nights. I can't do much about my pupil size, but the technology is still advancing. In a couple years I'll look into it again, but for now, contacts! I received my trial pair yesterday, which are not quite my prescription (the right one is slightly off). I wouldn't know the difference as the eye adjustment thing is so disorienting. I wore them for about 5 hours this morning as instructed and I now understand why Trin always says, "your eyes are like a Disney character's". They're really big... all my facial features are big. I was really tripping off seeing the bridge of my nose. I remember people in my life saying poo poo to me and contacts in the past because they're so used to me in glasses, and I look so good in them. To say to a person they look better in glasses is kinda insulting though because we don't come with this extra appendage. I'll admit my eyes kinda overwhelm my face but not in a bad way. I think I may have hid them for so long because I look a lot more vulnerable with them unleashed. As far as the vision is concerned, driving was great without the obstruction on the sides, and my eyes didn't feel dry at all as I've heard complaints from others about. I'm definitely aware something's in my eye, but I'm told I'll get used to it. Putting them in and taking them out is frustrating too, but I'll get better.
71) Re-design main room, bedroom, and kitchen of apartment 5/28/07
I spent a good portion of Monday rearranging the furniture of the main room. I finally embraced these two Colonial period duplication tables I bought at a garage sale years ago. I was going to paint them or something but then we found out they're worth $2500 apiece. Of course we couldn't even sell them asking $750 apiece on Craig's List. It should also be noted that Roger cracked one while fixing it's flip top capability, and then refinished them both in a manner that would decrease their value. Then my mother made a mark on one with a sharpie. I didn't want to part with them for nothing though, I like them. I just didn't feel they went with my place. Then about a month ago mom and Roger placed them haphazardly in my apartment. Humph. So I got tired of the lack of harmony the place is so well known for and incorporated them into the decor. They look good. I also moved what used to be Trin then Luby's bookcase to the opposite side of the room where Phinny's cat post used to be. It's not exactly how I want it yet but it's a start.
P.S: Is anybody reading this?
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
Day 50
11) Master 10 breakfast recipes (0/10) Tropical Breakfast Risotto; Grapefriut Sunrise
On Sunday morning I made Tropical Breakfast Risotto again. That fed me every morning until today. I've decided next time I'm going to use real pineapple though. The canned stuff just isn't the same. The reason the recipe calls for canned is so you can use the juice, but I'd just assume get some juice in addition. Maybe do something crazy like use papaya juice or something.
10) Master 10 dinner recipes (0/10) Baked Chicken Breast with Honey Mustard Sauce & Fennel Green Beans
Last night Serena and I made this together, except she substituted tofu and vegetable broth. I've completely eliminated the Super Carrot Raisin Salad from the mix as doing two recipes simultaneously is challenging enough. These two alone combine nutients up the wazoo anyhow. Serena and I concured we both like our green beans a little softer than they turned out, but mixed with the fennel and onions it was all quite light and crunchy, making it good as a salad the next day. *sigh* Cooking regularly is time consuming, at least right now. The feelings of accomplishment and nourishment keep me going though.
77) Walk on the beach 2 times a week for a month (6/8) 5/6/07, 5/12/07, 5/18/07, 5/19/07, 5/20/07, 5/23/07
I've taken Serena with me on about half of these trips since she lives right there. Wednesday though, we went to the Cliff House beach instead. We walked all around what once were baths. We went through that cave at the end of which some guys were finishing up fishing (fishermen are everywhere there's a beach). Serena told me how her sister's friend had died climbing some rocks at this spot. A wave crashed up unexpectedly behind him. "This is why I go for more controlled risk taking, like roller coasters," I told her.
53) Volunteer 50hrs (7/50) Food Bank 4/18/07, Homeless Children 5/2/07, Sprucing up the Botanical Garden 5/19/07
This past Saturday, I, with just 2 other volunteers and one of the 11 gardeners at the Golden Gate Botanical Garden, set about attacking some weeds in an area just left of the pond. Owen, the gardener, also gave us a brief tour of all the projects going on there. I was never aware that this place was in such constant renovation. There's going to be a stone sitting area built from stones from a missionary Hearst had broken down and transported here with the idea of rebuilding it. When that proved impossible the stones were donated to the park and scattered by use in various projects. The two other volunteers consisted of a documentary film graduate from Stanford (who'd resently had his film about the blue finned - or maybe it was silver backed - tuna in a festival) and a freelance writer specializing in cocktail research (who's job enticed me only because he gets sent all over the world). I have it on good authority though (Luby's dad) that the work/pay ratio of journalism isn't worth it.
On Sunday morning I made Tropical Breakfast Risotto again. That fed me every morning until today. I've decided next time I'm going to use real pineapple though. The canned stuff just isn't the same. The reason the recipe calls for canned is so you can use the juice, but I'd just assume get some juice in addition. Maybe do something crazy like use papaya juice or something.
10) Master 10 dinner recipes (0/10) Baked Chicken Breast with Honey Mustard Sauce & Fennel Green Beans
Last night Serena and I made this together, except she substituted tofu and vegetable broth. I've completely eliminated the Super Carrot Raisin Salad from the mix as doing two recipes simultaneously is challenging enough. These two alone combine nutients up the wazoo anyhow. Serena and I concured we both like our green beans a little softer than they turned out, but mixed with the fennel and onions it was all quite light and crunchy, making it good as a salad the next day. *sigh* Cooking regularly is time consuming, at least right now. The feelings of accomplishment and nourishment keep me going though.
77) Walk on the beach 2 times a week for a month (6/8) 5/6/07, 5/12/07, 5/18/07, 5/19/07, 5/20/07, 5/23/07
I've taken Serena with me on about half of these trips since she lives right there. Wednesday though, we went to the Cliff House beach instead. We walked all around what once were baths. We went through that cave at the end of which some guys were finishing up fishing (fishermen are everywhere there's a beach). Serena told me how her sister's friend had died climbing some rocks at this spot. A wave crashed up unexpectedly behind him. "This is why I go for more controlled risk taking, like roller coasters," I told her.
53) Volunteer 50hrs (7/50) Food Bank 4/18/07, Homeless Children 5/2/07, Sprucing up the Botanical Garden 5/19/07
This past Saturday, I, with just 2 other volunteers and one of the 11 gardeners at the Golden Gate Botanical Garden, set about attacking some weeds in an area just left of the pond. Owen, the gardener, also gave us a brief tour of all the projects going on there. I was never aware that this place was in such constant renovation. There's going to be a stone sitting area built from stones from a missionary Hearst had broken down and transported here with the idea of rebuilding it. When that proved impossible the stones were donated to the park and scattered by use in various projects. The two other volunteers consisted of a documentary film graduate from Stanford (who'd resently had his film about the blue finned - or maybe it was silver backed - tuna in a festival) and a freelance writer specializing in cocktail research (who's job enticed me only because he gets sent all over the world). I have it on good authority though (Luby's dad) that the work/pay ratio of journalism isn't worth it.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Day 43
Despite having engaged in a good 30% of this list I'm still intimidated when I read through it. Granted it's exciting all I've given myself to look forward to. I encourage everyone to put down what they want to do in writing, and then not question too much why. Sometimes it's better to go with your gut. Many passions are just ends in themselves, but in order to find the ones that lead elsewhere you have to explore them all. Serena and I were in a bookstore the other night and we were laughing about this book a women published that lists 1000some things that make her happy. Happiness is just so particular that such a book would be useless in most anyone else's hands. This was my idea behind constructing a book of quotes that held distinct meaning for me.
64) Schedule appointment to see if you qualify for Laser Eye Surgery; if yes, begin saving for and have procedure; if no, contacts appointment for 5/26/07
'Why would you want to let someone cut a flap in your eye, lift that flap and shoot down your cornea with a laser?' you might ask. The risk nowadays is actually very low. Most side effects occur in less than 1% of patients, and over correction/under correction has pretty much been eliminated due to Customwave (also a major factor in side effect reduction). There are things that can prevent you from being a good candidate though. If you're under 18 or your prescription hasn't stabilized, if you have an eye disease or your eyes are otherwise unhealthy, if you have an extremely strong prescription, or if your pupils are over 7 decimeters you're ineligible or just at risk for side effects. I've scheduled an appointment with my childhood optometrist for next Sat to see what my exact prescription is, how large my pupils are (I suspect they might disqualify me), and to see if there's anything else that makes me a bad candidate. I'll also run by her all my others concerns. One of my concerns that should be the smallest factor when considering surgery is cost, because my dad went and offered to pay when I thought it was like $1000 an eye. Research revealed it's more like $2000 an eye. When I told him this I added I don't expect him to pay that much as it's my thing and I was prepared to save for/finance it. But were going to talk more after we know my individual situation.
64) Schedule appointment to see if you qualify for Laser Eye Surgery; if yes, begin saving for and have procedure; if no, contacts appointment for 5/26/07
'Why would you want to let someone cut a flap in your eye, lift that flap and shoot down your cornea with a laser?' you might ask. The risk nowadays is actually very low. Most side effects occur in less than 1% of patients, and over correction/under correction has pretty much been eliminated due to Customwave (also a major factor in side effect reduction). There are things that can prevent you from being a good candidate though. If you're under 18 or your prescription hasn't stabilized, if you have an eye disease or your eyes are otherwise unhealthy, if you have an extremely strong prescription, or if your pupils are over 7 decimeters you're ineligible or just at risk for side effects. I've scheduled an appointment with my childhood optometrist for next Sat to see what my exact prescription is, how large my pupils are (I suspect they might disqualify me), and to see if there's anything else that makes me a bad candidate. I'll also run by her all my others concerns. One of my concerns that should be the smallest factor when considering surgery is cost, because my dad went and offered to pay when I thought it was like $1000 an eye. Research revealed it's more like $2000 an eye. When I told him this I added I don't expect him to pay that much as it's my thing and I was prepared to save for/finance it. But were going to talk more after we know my individual situation.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Day 39
12) Master 10 lunch recipes (0/10) Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad; Mediterranean Pasta Salad
On Thurs night I made Mediterranean Pasta Salad. I used dried tarragon instead of fresh, and when I first served it luke warm it was a little bitter. I also am really sensitive to onions. Chopping them myself causes my eyes to blur with tears, and even being around ones someone else has done is irritating. Serena told me about pre-chopped onions @ Trader Joes which is the route I'm going to take from now on. The salad tasted great the next day after being chilled. It gives you pretty strong breath though.
44) Visit the library and check out 5 books 5/13/07
I completed this task yesterday. The goal behind it is for me to start taking advantage of the library. I took out 4 picture/guide books of Arizona (for the painting I'm doing), a couple CD's (one classical & Jacques Brel is Alive...), and a couple books (Lolita & Monster of God).
50) Spend 150hrs drawing (1/150) 1hr 5/11/07
I'm so much happier working with color, painting, or even sculpting, but I know drawing is the foundation for all visual art so I have to buckle down. I hope by doing this to improve the perspective, proportions, and realism in my pieces.
68) Save $10 for every item completed on your 101 list to be spent as you choose but subtract from this $25 towards a charity for every uncompleted task (hold money in a “piggy” bank) ($60/$1010 4/10/07, 4/14/07, 4/23/07, 5/5/07, 5/13/07*2
On Saturday I went to this Japanese $1.50 store with Serena and her dad and got a traditional Japanese Lucky Cat in the form of a piggy bank. Yeah!
86) Color an entire coloring book purchased 5/13/07
Yesterday I purchased a big Disney Princess coloring book. Yup, you heard me right, and I'm going to color Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and the rest of 'em from head to toe. The primary reason for this goal is just the sheer childlike enjoyment of it all. But, it will also further improve my skills as a colorist.
99) Call Dad once a month (2/33) 4/8/07, 5/13/07
Yesterday, it being Mother's Day, I decided to call my dad and step-mother Jonie. I don't know that I've ever before called Joan on mother's day because I consider my birth mother to be my only mother, and Joan has no children of her own. She's also a rather bitter and argumentative person who's close mindedness influences my father's open minded nature. But how can I help anything by begrudging her acknowledgement in my upbringing? She may not have been the most positive example but negative people show you what not to be. I also know she loves my sister and I as much as she loves anyone. So I decided to take the higher road, and it made Jonie extremely happy. My dad also thanked me for calling her, giving me the impression that she'd been listening for the phone all day. More and more I'm realizing the power of actions. Another development from this phone call is my dad offered to pay for my laser eye surgery (if I qualify), which would be awesome.
78) Collect in a book 50 quotes that inspire you (50/50) 5/13/07
I felt immediate effects of this customized philosophy when I began incorporating one or two of these babies (or at least the concept behind them) into various conversations. When I get around to it I'll post the quotes somewhere on this page.
On Thurs night I made Mediterranean Pasta Salad. I used dried tarragon instead of fresh, and when I first served it luke warm it was a little bitter. I also am really sensitive to onions. Chopping them myself causes my eyes to blur with tears, and even being around ones someone else has done is irritating. Serena told me about pre-chopped onions @ Trader Joes which is the route I'm going to take from now on. The salad tasted great the next day after being chilled. It gives you pretty strong breath though.
44) Visit the library and check out 5 books 5/13/07
I completed this task yesterday. The goal behind it is for me to start taking advantage of the library. I took out 4 picture/guide books of Arizona (for the painting I'm doing), a couple CD's (one classical & Jacques Brel is Alive...), and a couple books (Lolita & Monster of God).
50) Spend 150hrs drawing (1/150) 1hr 5/11/07
I'm so much happier working with color, painting, or even sculpting, but I know drawing is the foundation for all visual art so I have to buckle down. I hope by doing this to improve the perspective, proportions, and realism in my pieces.
68) Save $10 for every item completed on your 101 list to be spent as you choose but subtract from this $25 towards a charity for every uncompleted task (hold money in a “piggy” bank) ($60/$1010 4/10/07, 4/14/07, 4/23/07, 5/5/07, 5/13/07*2
On Saturday I went to this Japanese $1.50 store with Serena and her dad and got a traditional Japanese Lucky Cat in the form of a piggy bank. Yeah!
86) Color an entire coloring book purchased 5/13/07
Yesterday I purchased a big Disney Princess coloring book. Yup, you heard me right, and I'm going to color Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and the rest of 'em from head to toe. The primary reason for this goal is just the sheer childlike enjoyment of it all. But, it will also further improve my skills as a colorist.
99) Call Dad once a month (2/33) 4/8/07, 5/13/07
Yesterday, it being Mother's Day, I decided to call my dad and step-mother Jonie. I don't know that I've ever before called Joan on mother's day because I consider my birth mother to be my only mother, and Joan has no children of her own. She's also a rather bitter and argumentative person who's close mindedness influences my father's open minded nature. But how can I help anything by begrudging her acknowledgement in my upbringing? She may not have been the most positive example but negative people show you what not to be. I also know she loves my sister and I as much as she loves anyone. So I decided to take the higher road, and it made Jonie extremely happy. My dad also thanked me for calling her, giving me the impression that she'd been listening for the phone all day. More and more I'm realizing the power of actions. Another development from this phone call is my dad offered to pay for my laser eye surgery (if I qualify), which would be awesome.
78) Collect in a book 50 quotes that inspire you (50/50) 5/13/07
I felt immediate effects of this customized philosophy when I began incorporating one or two of these babies (or at least the concept behind them) into various conversations. When I get around to it I'll post the quotes somewhere on this page.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Day 34
11) Master 10 breakfast recipes (0/10) Tropical Breakfast Risotto; Grapefruit Sunrise
This morning I made myself a Grapefruit Sunrise minus the whole fruit on top. Chugging it instantly made me feel good all over, and I felt full once I ate a banana too. I've been feeling better than usual by following these recipes, though it's a tad overwhelming; I having minimal experience cooking from scratch. It's easy to see why our culture is so consumed with fast food in all it's many forms, but once you've reaped in the rewards of accomplishment and ample nutrients it's hard to go back for long.
BTW - if you're wondering what happened to the picture of the week, my phone is refusing to download pics to my comp right now.
This morning I made myself a Grapefruit Sunrise minus the whole fruit on top. Chugging it instantly made me feel good all over, and I felt full once I ate a banana too. I've been feeling better than usual by following these recipes, though it's a tad overwhelming; I having minimal experience cooking from scratch. It's easy to see why our culture is so consumed with fast food in all it's many forms, but once you've reaped in the rewards of accomplishment and ample nutrients it's hard to go back for long.
BTW - if you're wondering what happened to the picture of the week, my phone is refusing to download pics to my comp right now.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Day 33
7) Visit the SF Academy of Science 5/5/07
Serena and I visited the awkwardly re-located Academy of Science this Saturday. It's a year away from being opened again in Golden Gate Park, bigger and better than ever. My favorite part of the old version was the stuffed animal habitats. But at the moment the stuffed animals are in glass cabinets looking really dead, particularly the birds (it's really disturbing). The rest of the place is made up of tons of fish, some reptiles, and a group of penguins. Did you know all the SF penguins are from Africa? We didn't. I also learned later that the new Academy is going to be entirely Green, with trees on the roof even!
10) Master 10 dinner recipes (0/10) Baked Chicken Breast with Honey Mustard Sauce, Fennel Green Beans, and Super Carrot Raisin Salad
Last night plans were cancelled due to a rash on Lucy's(my niece) inner thigh (she's reportedly okay, they just need to keep an eye on it). So I decided to try one of my dinner recipes but I didn't leave myself enough prep time to do all of it, plus I was missing fennel. One can hardly call a thing Fennel Green Beans without the fennel. Hence I had just regular green beans with lemon, salt and pepper and I skipped the salad all together for lack of a food processor. I did complete the chicken recipe though, my only fault being I forgot to cook the sauce on high for it's last five minutes so it wasn't as thick and flavorful as it should have been. It still tasted yummy though, and that's the whole point of mastery.
11) Master 10 breakfast recipes (0/10) Tropical Breakfast Risotto
I made this Saturday morning and I feel I achieved the creamy/not runny texture described. It's awfully tasty, and rather exotic. I shared some with Roger, mom, and Serena later in the day, and they enjoyed it. I will say that though you can serve it both hot and cold, I prefer it hot. Eating it cold was nice in combination with the heat wave though.
13) Either read or donate all the unread books you own 5/6/07 sold $17 worth and donated two bags to library
Sun I found out people evaluating books at book stores are just as snobby as ones evaluating clothes at clothes stores. I brought in 2.5 bags and she only took half of the half full bag, leaving me to carry the 2.25 bags back to my car (2 blocks away). She did tip me that the library takes donations and they were open to everything but encyclopedias.
The lady looked me dead in the eye, "They're not encyclopedias are they?" I, a little confused, replied, "No, mainly Stephen King, Micheal Crichton, and cats, lots and lots on cats."
77) Walk on the beach 2 times a week for a month (1/8) 5/6/07
I said to myself, after donating to the library, that now is the time to start walking on the beach as it's incredibly beautiful out these days. I ran into a guy who works in a coffee shop by my work as I was entering the beach and he was heading to the bathroom. He said he'd flag me down if he saw me (he was with a big group of friends) but that didn't happen. Instead I took off my shoes and splashed about in the tide, people watching, and enjoying the nostalgic smells and sounds.
Serena and I visited the awkwardly re-located Academy of Science this Saturday. It's a year away from being opened again in Golden Gate Park, bigger and better than ever. My favorite part of the old version was the stuffed animal habitats. But at the moment the stuffed animals are in glass cabinets looking really dead, particularly the birds (it's really disturbing). The rest of the place is made up of tons of fish, some reptiles, and a group of penguins. Did you know all the SF penguins are from Africa? We didn't. I also learned later that the new Academy is going to be entirely Green, with trees on the roof even!
10) Master 10 dinner recipes (0/10) Baked Chicken Breast with Honey Mustard Sauce, Fennel Green Beans, and Super Carrot Raisin Salad
Last night plans were cancelled due to a rash on Lucy's(my niece) inner thigh (she's reportedly okay, they just need to keep an eye on it). So I decided to try one of my dinner recipes but I didn't leave myself enough prep time to do all of it, plus I was missing fennel. One can hardly call a thing Fennel Green Beans without the fennel. Hence I had just regular green beans with lemon, salt and pepper and I skipped the salad all together for lack of a food processor. I did complete the chicken recipe though, my only fault being I forgot to cook the sauce on high for it's last five minutes so it wasn't as thick and flavorful as it should have been. It still tasted yummy though, and that's the whole point of mastery.
11) Master 10 breakfast recipes (0/10) Tropical Breakfast Risotto
I made this Saturday morning and I feel I achieved the creamy/not runny texture described. It's awfully tasty, and rather exotic. I shared some with Roger, mom, and Serena later in the day, and they enjoyed it. I will say that though you can serve it both hot and cold, I prefer it hot. Eating it cold was nice in combination with the heat wave though.
13) Either read or donate all the unread books you own 5/6/07 sold $17 worth and donated two bags to library
Sun I found out people evaluating books at book stores are just as snobby as ones evaluating clothes at clothes stores. I brought in 2.5 bags and she only took half of the half full bag, leaving me to carry the 2.25 bags back to my car (2 blocks away). She did tip me that the library takes donations and they were open to everything but encyclopedias.
The lady looked me dead in the eye, "They're not encyclopedias are they?" I, a little confused, replied, "No, mainly Stephen King, Micheal Crichton, and cats, lots and lots on cats."
77) Walk on the beach 2 times a week for a month (1/8) 5/6/07
I said to myself, after donating to the library, that now is the time to start walking on the beach as it's incredibly beautiful out these days. I ran into a guy who works in a coffee shop by my work as I was entering the beach and he was heading to the bathroom. He said he'd flag me down if he saw me (he was with a big group of friends) but that didn't happen. Instead I took off my shoes and splashed about in the tide, people watching, and enjoying the nostalgic smells and sounds.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Day 29
12) Master 10 lunch recipes (0/10) Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad
I've collected 30 of the most appealing dishes from World's Healtiest Foods to be the ones I master. Last night I made my first: Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad. It didn't take me 15 minutes, of course that's the whole point of mastery. It turned out damn good though and not just to taste (which is this burst of freshness with every bite) but since it's almost entirely raw it makes you feel grest too. I brought some of it with me for lunch today.
33) Complete 35 books: 5 must be from Banned-books(0/5); 5 must be from Guardian's top 100 books (0/5); 5 you must already own (0/5); Total - (1/35) What Would You Do If You Had No Fear; Diane Conway 5/2/07
My first book compeleted is What Would You Do If You Had No Fear; Diane Conway. My sister gave this to me when I gave her How to Stop Worrying and Start Living; Dale Carnagie. You may be saying to yourself, "Hey, what's with all the self help books?". Or perhaps you're just grimacing. But like Maggie said when we found ourselves agreeing that Diane Conway is a little crazy, "You take what you need from things, and leave the rest." Might I also site one of my 50 quotes I've collected, "Nothing is too small to know, and nothing is too big to attempt." - William Van Horne. This book tells a story or two a chapter of someone overcoming or bypassing fear. At the end of the chapter it has LIFE CHALLENGES, all of which I left behind. What challenges us in life is very particular to the individual. The main pieces of advice I take with me from Conway is to always say "yes" and to not let fear of dissapointing others keep me from what I need to do.
53) Volunteer 50hrs (4/50) Food Bank 4/18/07, Homeless Children 5/2/07
On Wed night I spent a couple hours at a homeless housing facility South of Market. It caters to women who're pregnant, and I think there's a set time limit on how long you can stay. While you're there though you get 3 meals a day and access to psycologists and job counslers. I don't know what the housing quarters look like, I only saw the kitchen, teen center, and the two rooms for the younger children. The project I was participating in babysits the children for an hour and a half while their parent/s receive counsling. The ratio was 2 kids to 6 adults this time. The children were Victor, age 5, and Kevin, age 6. The time is spent as follows: we start out sitting in a circle and each person introduces themselves and tells about their rose (something good that happened) and thorn (a bad thing) of the day. Then each kid is supposed to spend 20 minutes reading before play time, if they fail to do the reading time they don't get a star that day; ten stars gets you a candy grab, twenty get you a toy grab, and so on until you end up with pizza and a movie. Neither of the boys were into reading that day so we all set about building a BRIO train track. Victor proved to be the more emotionally stable boy as Kevin kept getting upset, violently bunching up track we'd laid down and flinging it back into it's box. After playtime we all journeyed across the hall to the kitchen where this lovely lady I've forgotten the name of, showed the boys how to make milkshakes. It was very hands-on for them, they even did dishes. Again, Kevin lacked confidence, and it got me wondering what happened to him, besides the obvious circumstances, because Victor is coping surprisingly well. After milkshakes the kids played a few more minutes before both getting to grap a handful of candy from a big bin. If you're anything like me you'd be alarmed by all the sugar, though they did use fresh strawberries in the shakes. The next three weeks are booked with volunteers, but I scheduled myself to return there in subsequent weeks.
100) Purchase or borrow and complete The Hard Questions for an Authentic Life: 100 Essential Questions for Tapping into Your Inner Wisdom arrived in mail 4/26/07
Here's a book by a woman who's made a living out of my highschool hobby. I've read the introduction and I'm excited about starting to answer. She talks about how she kept giving herself false start dates for her life to begin, i.e; once I get my degree, once I get married, or once I pay off that loan. Basically she was living in the future, or even the past, i.e; when I was young, when I was with this person, or before I got that injury. She would find that once she accomplished a supposed life starting goal, nothing really changed, she still was not fulfilled. Her life lacked authenticity. And I'm all for authenticity. Answering questions can really solidify your views on life, and even help you tap into your subconscience.
I've collected 30 of the most appealing dishes from World's Healtiest Foods to be the ones I master. Last night I made my first: Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad. It didn't take me 15 minutes, of course that's the whole point of mastery. It turned out damn good though and not just to taste (which is this burst of freshness with every bite) but since it's almost entirely raw it makes you feel grest too. I brought some of it with me for lunch today.
33) Complete 35 books: 5 must be from Banned-books(0/5); 5 must be from Guardian's top 100 books (0/5); 5 you must already own (0/5); Total - (1/35) What Would You Do If You Had No Fear; Diane Conway 5/2/07
My first book compeleted is What Would You Do If You Had No Fear; Diane Conway. My sister gave this to me when I gave her How to Stop Worrying and Start Living; Dale Carnagie. You may be saying to yourself, "Hey, what's with all the self help books?". Or perhaps you're just grimacing. But like Maggie said when we found ourselves agreeing that Diane Conway is a little crazy, "You take what you need from things, and leave the rest." Might I also site one of my 50 quotes I've collected, "Nothing is too small to know, and nothing is too big to attempt." - William Van Horne. This book tells a story or two a chapter of someone overcoming or bypassing fear. At the end of the chapter it has LIFE CHALLENGES, all of which I left behind. What challenges us in life is very particular to the individual. The main pieces of advice I take with me from Conway is to always say "yes" and to not let fear of dissapointing others keep me from what I need to do.
53) Volunteer 50hrs (4/50) Food Bank 4/18/07, Homeless Children 5/2/07
On Wed night I spent a couple hours at a homeless housing facility South of Market. It caters to women who're pregnant, and I think there's a set time limit on how long you can stay. While you're there though you get 3 meals a day and access to psycologists and job counslers. I don't know what the housing quarters look like, I only saw the kitchen, teen center, and the two rooms for the younger children. The project I was participating in babysits the children for an hour and a half while their parent/s receive counsling. The ratio was 2 kids to 6 adults this time. The children were Victor, age 5, and Kevin, age 6. The time is spent as follows: we start out sitting in a circle and each person introduces themselves and tells about their rose (something good that happened) and thorn (a bad thing) of the day. Then each kid is supposed to spend 20 minutes reading before play time, if they fail to do the reading time they don't get a star that day; ten stars gets you a candy grab, twenty get you a toy grab, and so on until you end up with pizza and a movie. Neither of the boys were into reading that day so we all set about building a BRIO train track. Victor proved to be the more emotionally stable boy as Kevin kept getting upset, violently bunching up track we'd laid down and flinging it back into it's box. After playtime we all journeyed across the hall to the kitchen where this lovely lady I've forgotten the name of, showed the boys how to make milkshakes. It was very hands-on for them, they even did dishes. Again, Kevin lacked confidence, and it got me wondering what happened to him, besides the obvious circumstances, because Victor is coping surprisingly well. After milkshakes the kids played a few more minutes before both getting to grap a handful of candy from a big bin. If you're anything like me you'd be alarmed by all the sugar, though they did use fresh strawberries in the shakes. The next three weeks are booked with volunteers, but I scheduled myself to return there in subsequent weeks.
100) Purchase or borrow and complete The Hard Questions for an Authentic Life: 100 Essential Questions for Tapping into Your Inner Wisdom arrived in mail 4/26/07
Here's a book by a woman who's made a living out of my highschool hobby. I've read the introduction and I'm excited about starting to answer. She talks about how she kept giving herself false start dates for her life to begin, i.e; once I get my degree, once I get married, or once I pay off that loan. Basically she was living in the future, or even the past, i.e; when I was young, when I was with this person, or before I got that injury. She would find that once she accomplished a supposed life starting goal, nothing really changed, she still was not fulfilled. Her life lacked authenticity. And I'm all for authenticity. Answering questions can really solidify your views on life, and even help you tap into your subconscience.
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