Going Off-line, Week 1

One of my New Year's Resolutions in 2011 is to go one week of every month "off-line".
By this I mean no Facebook, no Hulu, no Netflix, no online games, no online blog reading, no online comics. (note that this excludes email, based on the fact that it is not possible in this day and age to go completely without internet and still complete tasks like work and school).

This is sort of a social experiment and sort of a personal growth.
It's a social experiment to see if someone CAN actually accomplish this. To prove that the idea of books ever becoming outdated is ridiculous. To see who stays in contact with me without the aid of Facebook.
It's personal growth because I did my forty day fast in the days leading up to Christmas (if you follow my blog, you'll remember), and it was really helpful for me. I know there are things that I should be doing that I do not do because I'm spending time on the internet. So it's a chance for me to do those things.

I'll update you in a week how it went - in addition to the above, it's a guarantee that I'll get on my blog at least once a month, and have something semi-consistent to blog about. My blogging goal has generally been to write once a week on average, and this will help. (although, that often ends up being two posts at the end of the month to get my monthly count up to 4 so that the average comes out right!)

Shakespeare Class

For my winter course that I'm taking on Shakespeare we were asked to write a sonnet that responded to a sonnet written by Shakespeare. I wrote a response to sonnet 3:
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/3.html

Friend, you think too much of unborn children,

But think, good sir, I am ready for none.
My home is but a small and tiny den
My income not yet prepared for a son.
My face, though a glass for my dear mother
Needs not a glass till it be old and aged.
And if this son should desire a brother,
My mistress would, I fear, become enraged.
Spare me thy thoughts on life, thy ill advice.
I need not counsel but your art alone.
Keep your wisdom out, or keep it concise.
Let this sonnet to you be surely shown,

So everyone may know my strong intent
­to avoid your thought, though it was well meant.

What was 2010

For me, 2010 was (all positives here - not that there were no negatives, but I'd rather focus on the positive):
1. the year of high school graduation
2. the year of my first job
3. the year I read the Lord of the Rings for the first time (well, OK, I'm not quite finished - Return of the King is still left)
4. the year I scored the CWIT scholarship
AND...
5. The year I met six of ten new years goals (goals 1,4,5,6,7, and 10)

My goals for 2010 were:
1. exercise and eat less
2. finish reading through the Bible
3. Serve More
4. Learn how to study
5. Learn to control my tongue and temper
6. Learn to budget and SAVE money (tentative goal, 1000 dollars in addition to what I already had)
7. practice art
8. read all of the Lord of the Rings
9. Learn to knit
10. Blog more consistently

and here's how I think I did:
1 - too vague a goal. But for the most part, yes, because of school food
2 -  Not even close. But I've been working on it since May 2009 and I'll keep going
3 - also vague. I'm not sure now if the things I did this year were what I meant a year ago.
4 - Kinda? being in College made me study more, and I learned where I can study and started making my own cards and stuff, so yes, I guess.
5 - someone who's not me but has known me for a while should tell me if I did this one - I think and hope so!
6 - Done, since this was the most numeric, mathematical goal. Done much better than I expected
7 - I didn't make art, but I gained appreciation for music, and met artists, and learned ballroom dance. which is a kind of art, just not the painting kind I was thinking of. So I suppose yes, but not how I'd expected.
8 - no! I came a LITTLE short. Give me a month's grace and I'll have this one. :D
9 - No. didn't even try. But, I met someone who does knit. maybe I'll get her to teach me. We'll see. this one maybe one of the goals that will fall through the cracks, but if so, no big deal - that happens! and I've been making new years goals since I was 13. some are bound to end up dead.
10 - Well. I have written more posts in 2010 than in 2009 or 2008. So we'll call it a success, even though I don't write as often as I'd like. Mostly, I'm happy it's been running 3 years and is still pretty strong - blogs from people my age tend to die quickly. As always, it's a way to keep writing, keep thinking, keep improving.

Happy New Year Y'all!