Day Zero Project Update: W109-114

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs (101/101)

• B.O.B. and Hayley Williams "Airplanes"
• Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss "Whiskey Lullaby"
• Ben Folds and Regina Spektor "You Don't Know Me"

24. Keep a journal for this project

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge — 3804 pages read this period giving me a total of 158,066 pages so far

88. Go hiking or horseback riding

Overall Progress

35/101

Day Zero Project Update: Week 104-108

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs (98/101)

• Dave Matthews Band "Two Step"
• Dave Matthews "Grey Street"
• OAR "Patiently"
• The Avett Brothers "Love and Hate"
• Jamie Cullum "Blame it on My Youth"
• Sara Barellies "Uncharted"
• Alexa Wilkinson "Waterline"
• Bright Eyes "Four Winds"
• Jack's Mannequin "Holiday from Real"
• Death Cab for Cutie "I Will Follow"
• Joss Stone "You Had Me"
• Iron and Wine "Flightless Bird"
• The White Stripes "Fell in Love"
• Jimmy Eat World "Bleed American"

7. Watch 10 foreign films (4/10)

• Shaolin Soccer

24. Keep a journal for this project

27. Make a list of 101 inspirational quotes (101/101)

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge — 5134 pages read this period giving me a total of 154,262 pages so far

60. Try 30 new recipes (30/30)

• Skinny Chicken Parmesan
• Honey Mustard Chicken
• California Quesdaillas

Overall Progress

33/101

Day Zero Project Update: Week 98-103

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs (84/101)

• Frou Frou "Let Go"
• Snow Patrol "Chasing Cars"
• Duncan Sheik "Half Life"
• Lifehouse "Everything"
• Guster "Satellite"
• Jason Mraz "You and I Both"
• Paramore "Crushcrushcrush"
• NeedtoBreathe "Won't Turn Back"
• Gavin DeGraw "Young Love"
• Keane "Somewhere Only We Know"

20. Reread all of Jane Austen’s novels (6/6) -- Finished this challenge with Pride and Prejudice... now to start all over again.

24. Keep a journal for this project

27. Make a list of 101 inspirational quotes (101/101)

30. Finish 100 creative writing prompts (9/100)

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (30/30) -- Finished my New Authors Reading challenge.  25/25 new authors read!  And I finished my Women Authors Reading Challenge. 25/25 women authors read!

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge -- Another 5842 pages for this period. I don't think I'm going to make my goal by the Day Zero deadline, but I'll keep going and going until I reach my ultimate goal of 1,000,000 pages. (144,552/250,000)

71. Donate 100,000 grains of rice on freerice.com (2400/100,000)

Overall Progress

32/101

Day Zero Project Update: Week 91-97

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs (74/101)

24. Keep a journal for this project

27. Make a list of 101 inspirational quotes (95/101)

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (28/30) -- I finally finished my first of the 2013 reading challenges.  I finished my library loan challenge of reading 24 books.  Now I need to focus on some of other challenges I've fallen behind on.

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge -- another 2996 pages to add to the totals (138,710/250,000)

60. Try 30 new recipes (27/30)

• Pulled Pork  -- A good basic recipe, but next time I really need to kick it up a bit.  We definitely would prefer it more spicy.
• Lasagna -- I tried a low calorie version that was pretty decent.

Overall Progress

29/101

Day Zero Project Update: Weeks 84-90

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs (50/101)

20. Reread all of Jane Austen's novels (5/6) -- Just need to reread Pride and Prejudice and I'll complete this task.

24. Keep a journal for this project

27. Make a list of 101 inspirational quotes (89/101)

28. Blog 1001 times -- 59 blog posts this period  (1001/1001)

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge -- another 3911 pages to add to the totals (136,041/250,000)

Overall Progress

29/101

Day Zero Project Update: Weeks 78-83

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs (42/101)

• Linkin Park "Crawling"
• Alkaline Trio "Calling All Skeletons"
• AFI "Miss Murder"
• Fuel "Million Miles"
• Anna Nalick "Wreck of the Day"
• Haley James Scott "Halo"
• Augustana "Boston"
• Jon McLaughlin "Indiana"
• Dashboard Confessional "Saints and Sailors"
• Howie Day "Ghost"
• Flogging Molly "Float"
• John Mayer "Neon"
• Gorillaz "Dare"
• Arctic Monkeys "I Bet You Look Good"
• The Killers "Somebody Told Me"

12. See all of IMDB’s Top 250 movies  (28/250)

• 166. Life of Brian -- Love me some Monty Python
• 139. Annie Hall -- We now own the entire Woody Allen collection.  Had to watch this one first.

24. Keep a journal for this project

27. Make a list of 101 inspirational quotes (75/101)

28. Blog 1001 times -- 57 posts this period (974/1001)

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge (132,130/250,000)

Overall Progress

28/101

Day Zero Project Update: Week 72-77

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs (19/101)

1. Billy Joel "Lullaby"
2. Tori Amos "1000 Oceans"
3. The Toadies "Possum Kingdom"
4. Oasis "Don't Look Back (In Anger)"
5. Dixie Chicks "Easy Silence"
6. JoDee Messina and Tim McGraw "Bring on the Rain"
7. Lady Antebellum "I Run to You"
8. A Day to Remember "All I Want"
9. All American Rejects "Move Along"
10. Yellowcard "Lights and Sounds"
11. Muse "Starlight"
12. Ben Folds "Narcolepsy"
13. Amanda Palmer "Astronaut"
14. Regina Spektor "Apres Moi"
15. The Dresden Dolls "Sing"
16. KT Tunstall "Ashes"
17. Christina Perri "Jar of Hearts"
18. Kate Voegele "One Way or Another"
19. Brandi Carlile "The Story"

7. Watch 10 foreign films (3/10)

• Ip Man -- Part of our New Movie February.  Great movie in Cantonese.
• Seven Samurai -- Japanese, part of New Movie February.

9. See 101 new movies (101/101)

• Hanna -- Awesome action movie, awesome soundtrack.

12. See all of IMDB’s Top 250 movies  (26/250)

• 13. Seven Samurai

15. Have a zombie movie marathon (for my birthday week)

• Night of the Living Dead (1968)
• Dawn of the Dead (2004)
• Land of the Dead (2005)
• Resident Evil (2002)
• Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
• Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
• Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
• Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
• 28 Days Later (2002)
• 28 Weeks Later (2007)
• Shawn of the Dead (2004)
• The Walking Dead S1-S3

20. Reread all of Jane Austen’s novels (4/6)

24. Keep a journal for this project

27. Make a list of 101 inspirational quotes (75/101)

28. Blog 1001 times — 109 posts this period  (917/1001)

36. Attend 3 literary events (1/3)

• Author Laurie R. King speaking at the Santa Clara library

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge (126,981/250,000)

Overall Progress

26/101

Day Zero Project Update: Week 67-71

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs (8/101)

• Damien Rice "Amie"
• Goo Goo Dolls "Iris"
• Orgy "Eva"
• Sarah McLachlan "Adia"
• Barenaked Ladies "Alcohol"
• Cake "Short Skirt Long Jacket"
• Cowboy Mouth "Love of My Life"
• Five Iron Frenzy "Oh Canada"

9. See 101 new movies (100/101)

• Lincoln -- Daniel Day Lewis better get the Oscar for his performance!
• The One -- Jet Li vs. Jet Li being completely badass.  What's not to love?
• The Final Countdown -- 1970s scifi at its best.
• Real Steel -- Good, if a bit melodramatic in a few scenes.
• Nine -- Not the best musical, but definitely evokes a certain time period in history.
• Priest -- Silly action movie...
• The Queen of Versailles -- Documentary showing extravagance.  Very interesting and appalling.
• Friends with Benefits -- Much better than No Strings Attached, but cheesy at times.
• Taken 2 -- Liam Neeson kickin' ass for an hour and a half. Perfection!

20. Reread all of Jane Austen's novels (3/6)

24. Keep a journal for this project

27. Make a list of 101 inspirational quotes (69/101)

28. Blog 1001 times --  99 posts this period  (808/1001)

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (27/30)

• Seasonal Reading Challenge
• Fantasy Reading Challenge

63. Host a homemade pizza party -- We had a great little party with our Indiana friends Tori and Alli.

Overall Progress

26/101

Day Zero Project Update: Week 63-66

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

1. Go to 5 concerts (1/5) -- Free tickets to see Live 105's Not So Silent Night featuring Grouplove, M83, Tegan and Sara, Passion Pit, and The Killers.  Merry Christmas to me!

9. See 101 new movies (91/101)

• The Dictator -- Had a few funny parts, but the rest was so-so
• Love, Wedding, Marriage -- Pretty subpar romantic comedy...
• 21 Jump Street -- Way funnier than I thought it would be
• Our Idiot Brother -- Not as bad as everyone said, but I do love me some Paul Rudd
• 12 Dates of Christmas -- ABC Family cheesy awesomeness
• The Game -- Fincher's second film.  Really good mind bender.
• The Hobbit -- In IMAX 3D!  Holy Crap!  Amazing!

12. See all of IMDB's Top 250 movies  (25/250)

• 119. Blade Runner -- Always a great science fiction movie.

24. Keep a journal for this project

28. Blog 1001 times -- 50 this time period   (709/1001)

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (25/30)

• Telling Tales
• Books2Movies
• Science Fiction
• What's in a Name 6
• Back to the Classics
• Mixing It Up
• 2012 Goodreads Challenge
• Historical Fiction

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge (109,486/250,000)

Overall Progress

25/101

Day Zero Project Update: Week 59-62

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs -- Narrowed down to 101, prepping posts for January.

9. See 101 new movies (84/101)

• We are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists -- Awesome documentary chronicling the history of hacktivism with an emphasis with Anonymous.  Beautiful piece of film.
• Tim Minchin: Rock n Roll Nerd -- J absolutely loves him and has been wanting me to watch this documentary about him for awhile.  Very entertaining and poignant.
• The Five Year Engagement -- Not so great.  A little too awkward weird.
• Seeking a Friend for the End of the World -- Beautifully uplifting for an end of the world movie.
• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter -- Pretty disappointed as I loved the book.  I updated my book review to include a movie review.
• Safety Not Guaranteed -- This movie was great.  I loved the mystery of it.  And the characters were amazing.  Must see.
• The Campaign -- Very relevant look at our political spectrum told with laughs.
• Skyfall -- Amazing Bond film!  A must see.  Really enjoyed all the nods to the previous films.
• Wreck It Ralph -- Took the boys, a very good animated movie!

24. Keep a journal for this project

28. Blog 1001 times 39 post this period.  (659/1001)

30. Finish 100 creative writing prompts (8/100)  -- I joined Michelle @ Stories Inside for Sit Down and Write 2 (ending today).  This allowed me to focus on my writing for two weeks.  And of course, I failed miserably.  Being away from home and back in Indiana distracted me with everything else.  I only got 4 prompts completed...

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (17/30)

• Shakespeare Reading Challenge

Overall Progress

25/101

Sit Down and Write 2

From Stories Inside:

This write-a-thon is for any writing you need to get done.  If you're working on a novel and, perhaps, participating in NaNoWriMo next month (like me--buddy up with me--thetruebookaddict), it's for you.  If you have a ton of reviews to write coming off of (or during) the many read-a-thons that are always going on, this is perfect for you.  Any writing you need to get done...this is the thon to really buckle down.  I'm not going to be hosting any mini-challenges, but I will have check-in linkies posted every few days, if you are so inclined to share your progress.  You can link to your reviews or your progress posts.  Our Twitter hashtag is #sitdownwrite  If you're game for a couple Twitter chats, let me know in the comments.

Due to input from participants last time, the write-a-thon will now run for two weeks!  Starting and end times are the usual:  Monday (11/12) 12:01am CST until Sunday (11/25) 11:59pm CST.

I just got to this in my GoogleReader and I am ready to join!  Last year, I tried NaNoWriMo and it didn't go so well.  Instead of the pressure of 50,000 words in a month for one piece, I am going to focus on short creative writing exercises.  I will be posting some of my pieces here on the blog.  These also count towards my Day Zero Project: Finish 100 Creative Writing Prompts.  I'm definitely not expecting to finish all 100, but I want to get a chunk done and get the creative juices flowing.

Day Zero Project Update: Week 55-58

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs -- Slowly working through the songs to narrow the list down.  I hope to have Music Monday posts highlighting these starting in January.

9. See 101 new movies (75/101)

• The Expendables -- Thank goodness it was free on Netflix.  A movie that takes itself way too seriously.
• Battleship -- Just a crazy action film.  No substance, but still pretty fun.
• Iron Sky -- Nazis from the ark side of the moon...  hee hee.  Loved it!
• Snow White and the Huntsman -- So much better than Mirror, Mirror.  Loved the supporting cast, especially Charlize Theron.
• Chronicle -- Awesome movie.  We like to think of it was what Episodes 1-3 should have been.
• Rock of Ages -- Cheesy, but Tom Cruise was awesome!
• Tucker and Dale vs. Evil -- Way too funny!  Laughed my ass off.

12. See all of IMDB’s Top 250 movies  (24/250) -- I forgot to notate these for the last few months, so I'm doing it now.  These are all movies I rewatched.

• 132. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two
• 181. How to Train Your Dragon
• 131. The Wizard of Oz
• 194. The Princess Bride
• 108. Die Hard
• 75. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• 101. Up
• 57. Lawrence of Arabia
• 124. Snatch

20. Reread all of Jane Austen’s novels (2/6)

24. Keep a journal for this project

27. Make a list of 101 inspirational quotes (61/101)

28. Blog 1001 times  -- 38 for this period (620/1001)

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (16/30)

• Zombie Reading Challenge -- Another 24 books read for this year!

35.Join or create a book club -- Randomly a crafter friend asked if I wanted to be in a new book club with some fellow crafters.  Of course I said yes!  Which gave me three days to get and read our first book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.  We are going to meet every month.  Books choices will be presented by the month's "Host" and voted on by the group.  For December we're reading The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott.  I'm really excited to read and discuss some new books!

71. Donate 100,000 grains of rice on freerice.com  (2040/100,000)

What I Plan to Do Next Week.

19. Complete The Artist’s Way -- The local library has a copy.  I plan to pick it up this week and make my preliminary plan.

Overall Progress

25/101

Day Zero Project Update: Week 49-54

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

3. Listen to 26 new bands (one for each letter of the alphabet) (26/26)

9. See 101 new movies (68/101)

• Lockout -- Luc Besson's new scif(ish) adventure film.  It was fun, but there were a few scenes that just confused me.
• Ran -- Akiro Kurosawa's film is based partly on Shakespeare's King Lear, so perfect to watch after reading the play.
• The Blind Side -- Good feel good movie.  Grabbed it at the library
• Safe -- J had been wanting to see this for awhile.  And I love a good action flick, especially starring Jason Statham.
• The Mechanic -- Another Statham film, but one I hadn't seen and it was sitting on our shelf.  Not quite as good as Safe.
• Moneyball -- Surprisingly good movie
• End of Watch -- Got few tickets through AMC's Stubs program. Thank goodness we didn't pay.  Many issues with this one.
• The Vow -- Redbox afternoon pick.  Typical Nicholas Sparks, but I do like fluffy romances every once in a while.
• Friends with Kids -- A great, honest love story.
• The Cabin in the Woods -- I loved the big twist concept.  Amazing movie!

12. See all of IMDB’s Top 250 movies(15/250)

• Ran

17. Reread all of the Harry Potter books (7/7)

25. Buy a moleskine notebook -- Done!  I grabbed a classic black unlined one for my design inspirations.

28. Blog 1001 times  -- 59 times this period.  I'm past the halfway point for this challenge!  (582/1001)

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (15/30)

• Fables reading challenge -- Finally finished this by reading Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love
• Romance reading challenge -- completed this one with the help of rest of Susan Wiggs' Tudor Rose trilogy
• Harry Potter -- Loved rereading these and then watching the corresponding movie.

33. Read my height in books (68/68in.)

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge (97,642/250,000)

65. Save $5 for every task completed ($75)

72. Complete “50 Questions that Free Your Mind” (50/50)

What I Plan to Do Next Week.

35. Join or create a book club -- I've found a club that will meet later in October.

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs -- I finished putting all the music on the server.  Now I need to sort through it...

Overall Progress

24/101

Last of the Questions

As part of my Day Zero Project, I am answering “50 Questions to Free Your Mind” (Google it).   I had originally thought to do these in my personal journal, but then I thought, why not put them on my blog.  So get ready for some rambling answers.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you… Here's my post for questions #1-5.  And here for questions #6-10.  And here for questions #11-20. And here for questions #21-26.  And here for questions #27-34.  And here for questions #35-41.

42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous? 

No.  Being attractive or famous would not necessarily increase my quality of life.  I would rather have those ten year to increase my quality of life and enjoy life.  We have to strive to be happy in our lives the way they are.  We can aspire to change things, but obviously certain things are out of our control.  Having a fairy tale fantasy doesn't help focus on your current life.  I want to think about every day as a chance to enjoy life.  Better to back to enjoying it...

43. What is the difference between beling alive and truly living? 

Wow.  I didn't read this question before writing the previous answer.  I think it goes back to the idea of striving for better life every day and being complacent.

44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?

Now.  Too much time hemming and hawing gets you nowhere.  You don't get rewards or punishments not trying.  Instead you only become stagnant.  Get up and do something now.

45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?

Uncertainty is always scary.  We are afraid to make a mistake because it is a mistake.  Instead, we should think of mistakes are learning tools.

46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

Dance and sing in the streets.  Wear whatever I happen to throw on in the morning (I have certain clothing rules).  Say what's on my mind.

47. When was the last time you notied the sound of your own breathing?

Last night while trying to fall asleep.  This cough has created some breathing issues especially at night.  The sound was a bit more of a wheezing than regular breathing.

48. What do you love?  Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?

My boys, J, reading, swimming pools, sunshine...  I think so.

49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that?

No.  I try to keep a good recollection of daily events, but many days fall into a pretty regular routine.  Neuroscientists know that our memories like the unusual.  We tend to remember big impact events (good or bad).  Waking up, eating, showering, going to work, etc, bed time is a routine but not very memorable.

50. Decisions are being made right now.  The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?

I like to think I am making decisions, but I also have considerations of other people dependent or directly connected to me.  No person makes a decision completely on their own.

Spilling my guts...

As part of my Day Zero Project, I am answering “50 Questions to Free Your Mind” (Google it).   I had originally thought to do these in my personal journal, but then I thought, why not put them on my blog.  So get ready for some rambling answers.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you… Here's my post for questions #1-5.  And here for questions #6-10.  And here for questions #11-20. And here for questions #21-26.  And here for questions #27-34.

35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?

Misconstrued need to be included.  Many religions have a "us" or "them" mentality that taken to extremes can lead to war.  Instead of a love and understanding approach they take a militant convert everyone approach.

36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?

No.  Society collectively decides what is good and what is evil.  We generally adhere the standards, but of course there are those that deviate.  Thus, we have a societal system of promoting what is good and punishing those do what is evil.

37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?

Considering that right now I'm unemployed, this doesn't really apply.  Yet, let me answer as if I had a job.  No I would not quit my job.  First of all a million dollars really isn't that much.  It could make life easier temproarily.  It could pay off debts/mortgages/loans.  If could provide some instant entertainment.  It could pay for future endeavors.  But a million dollars isn't going to make you life-long no worries rich. Secondly, I have gotten super bored when not working.  I need something to occupy my time daily and help organize my life.  Left to my own devices, I blog and surf the web for hours a day.  (I'm actually working of two projects that could pay me for doing just that.)

38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?

More work that I enjoy doing.  I never minded the long hours of teaching as long as I was getting something out of it.

39. Do you feel like you've lived this day a hundred times before?

Yep.  Reading, housework, blogging, surfing, eating...  This is my life currently.

40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly beleived in?

Never?  I just don't think I've ever really marched into the dark, the twilight maybe, the sunset definitely.  I think I would like to jump into the unknown with passion, but at the same time, I am a big scaredy cat.

41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?

My children.  Although it would take most of the day to get there (damn non direct flights!)

Day Zero Project Update: Week 45-48

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs -- I have almost completed getting all my music onto the server so I can start sorting through them to find my favorites...

9. See 101 new movies (58/101)

• The Dark Knight Rises -- I liked it, but it definitely had some drawbacks and inconsistencies.
• The Decoy Bride -- Starring David Tennant.  A cute little romantic comedy.  Seen on netflix.
• God Bless America -- J has been wanting to watch Bobcat Goldthwait's new movie for awhile.  Very dark but good.
• New Year's Eve -- romantic crap, but just the ticket sometimes
• Tonight You're Mine -- Awesome music romance...  pick it up!
• Wanderlust -- I thought it was really funny, but then again I am in love with Paul Rudd
• John Carter -- An entertaining old style scifi movie
• The Raid: Redemption -- crazy action flick from Singapore.  J just had to watch it.  It was intense.

10. Spend a day in PJs watching movies -- I was feeling particularly crappy.  Thankfully I needed to watch The Wizard of Oz and Tin Man for my book review and I added the mini series Lost in Austen for a bit of fun.  √

12. See all of IMDB's Top 250 movies  (14/250)

• 113. Batman Begins -- in preparation for going to see The Dark Knight Rises we had to rewatch the first two
• 9. The Dark Knight -- Thankfully we own both movies

20. Reread all of Jane Austen's novels (1/6) -- Finished Northanger Abbey as part of Austen in August event

24. Keep a journal for this project -- ongoing

28. Blog 1001 times -- 35 times this period.  Not a huge amount, but a respectable number. (523/1001)

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (12/30)

• YA Challenge -- I didn't read all the books I wanted to for this one, but I did have some great substitues.

33. Read my height in books (65/68in.)

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge (84,418/250,000)

65. Save $5 for every task completed ($65)

72. Complete "50 Questions that Free Your Mind" (34/50)

100. Scrapbook 100 pages (100/100) -- completed, but I'm still behind on my scrapbooking...

What I Plan to Do Next Week.

17. Reread all of the Harry Potter books (6/7)

35. Join or create a book club -- Still waiting to find a good one.

72. Complete “50 Questions that Free Your Mind” (20/50) -- I'm getting through them very slowly

Overall Progress

19/101

Some personal time...

As part of my Day Zero Project, I am answering “50 Questions to Free Your Mind” (Google it).   I had originally thought to do these in my personal journal, but then I thought, why not put them on my blog.  So get ready for some rambling answers.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you… Here's my post for questions #1-5.  And here for questions #6-10.  And here for questions #11-20. And here for questions #21-26.

27. Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first?

No.  I meet way too many people that accept anything and everything without question.  Those people scare me.  They allow the status quo to continue without improvement.  Question everything.

28. Has your greatest fear ever come true?

Yes.  Although things have been improving.

29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now?

No.  I don't remember.  2007 was a pretty decent year, nothing too bad happened.  Since then, there have been a few angry times that I still remember and are still a bit upset about.

30. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special?

Probably Christmas Eves.  I love Christmas time full of lights, snow, presents, and awesome food.  I'm really looking forward to this Christmas.

31. At what time in your recent pas have you felt most passionate and alive?

I would have to say my time teaching.  I loved it, but man it was ton of work for little pay.  I can't afford to regret my decisions, but I really do miss it.

32.  If not now, then when?

Hopefully the coming months will hold some great and passionate times.

33. If you haven't achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?

34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?

Many many times.  I love having those psychic-like connections with people.  It is an amazing feeling of connection with fellow humans.

Day Zero Project Update: Week 41-44

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

3. Listen to 26 new bands (one for each letter of the alphabet) (20/26)

• Alex Clare "Damm Your Eyes"
• The Lumineers "Ho Hey"

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs -- in progress

8. Have a Pixar marathon -- ongoing

• Wall-E -- A's pick
• Brave -- I loved it!  A great new Pixar movie starring a girl!

9. See 101 new movies (50/101)

• Rio -- Fairly decent kids movie
• Brave -- Amazing!
• The Amazing Spider-Man -- Great movie!
• In Time -- so so
• This Means War -- I could have done without the romance angle.  Would have been better as a buddy cop movie.
• The Last Legion -- pretty boring retelling of the story of fall of Rome and Excalibur
• One Night with the King -- a badly acted version of Esther's story from the Bible
• 9 -- Great children's flick with an interesting message
• Crazy, Stupid, Love -- Amazing movie with Steve Carrell and Ryan Gosling.  A Must See!
• Bright Star -- This story of John Keats has been on my list forever.  Grabbed it from the library.  Good, if a little moody.
• Unknown -- Liam Neeson being Liam Neeson.  Better than I thought it would be, but not really great.
• 30 Minutes or Less -- Not the best...
• Mirror, Mirror -- Loved that Snow White wasn't a damsel in distress, but the rest was a bit jokey.
• Casa de Mi Padre -- Amazing Will Ferrell movie!  Loved the little touches.
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes -- Better than I thought it would be...

12. See all of IMDB’s Top 250 movies  (12/250)

• Wall-E

24. Keep a journal for this project -- Ongoing

26. Keep a “Six Words to Describe the Day” journal for 6 months -- Finished!

27. Make a list of 101 inspirational quotes (45/101) -- added to the page

28. Blog 1001 times (488/1001) 76 posts this period

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (11/30)

• Graphic Novel
• Vampires
• Support Your Local Library

33. Read my height in books (60/68in.) -- 5 inches this period

95. Participate in or create a scavenger hunt -- I made one for the boys

What I Plan to Do Next Week.

35. Join or create a book club -- Still waiting to find a good one.

72. Complete “50 Questions that Free Your Mind” (20/50) -- really slacking on these...

Overall Progress

17/101

Music Monday -- New Music V

As part of my Day Zero Project, I am finding some new music.  Specifically I want to find a great new-to-me band for each letter of the alphabet.  Today, I have a few songs to share.

Music Selections: 

Alex Clare "Damn Your Eyes" (Etta James cover) -- I ran across one of his songs on another blog (can't remember which) and now I'm captivated by his voice.

The Lumineers "Ho Hey"

Complete A to Z list (so far):

• A – Awolnation “Not Your Fault”
• B – Birdy “Just a Game”
• C – Cake “Mustache Man (Wasted)”
• D -- Alex Clare "Damn Your Eyes"
• E – Ellie Goulding “Lights”
• F – Fun “We are Young”
• G – Gotye “Somebody That I Used to Know”
• H – Edward Sharpe “Home”
• I – Imagine Dragons “It’s Time”
• J -
• K – Kindness “House”
• L - The Lumineers "Ho Hey"
• M -
• N – Neon Trees “Everybody Talks”
• O – Of Mosnter and Men “Little Talks”
• P – Punch Brothers “Dark Days”
• Q -
• R – Radical Face “Welcome Home”
• S – St. Vincent “Cheerleader”
• T – GROUPLOVE “Tongue Tied”
• U -
• V -
• W – Walk the Moon “Anna Sun”
• X -
• Y -  Young the Giant “Cough Syrup”
• Z – Zulu Winter “We Should Be Swimming”

Day Zero Project Update: Week 36-40

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

3. Listen to 26 new bands (one for each letter of the alphabet) (18/26)

• Kindness "House"
• Birdy "Just a Game"
• Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros "Home"
• Radical Face "Welcome Home"

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs -- in progress.  I am currently working through the Js.

6. Watch all the James Bond movies (22/22) -- Finished!

8. Have a Pixar marathon -- ongoing

• Up -- started with the saddest one, but a good one

9. See 101 new movies (35/101)

• Super 8 -- Great story.  Could have done with the Abrams patented lens flares.
• Like Crazy -- Awesome quiet little story of love.  Most of it was improvised dialogue between Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin.
• One for the Money -- Ugh!  Thank goodness this was a Redbox movie.  Crap!
• Secret of My Success -- How have I not seen this awesome 80s Michael J. Fox farce?  And we even own it.
• Haywire -- Good action sequences, blah storyline...
• The Three Musketeers -- Overly hyped and stylized.  Just didn't get me at all.  I was laughing at the ridiculousness.
• The Woman in Black -- Very predictable.  And hard to see Harry Potter as a widow with a young boy.

12. See all of IMDB’s Top 250 movies  (11/250)

• Up -- Always makes me cry

14. Choose an actor/actress and see all their films (1/ 22) -- I picked Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.  One movie complete this week.

• The Rundown

16. Spend an afternoon in the park reading -- Perfect week to do this when the boys were at summer camp.

17. Reread all of the Harry Potter books (6/7) -- One to go...

24. Keep a journal for this project -- Ongoing

26. Keep a “Six Words to Describe the Day” journal for 6 months -- Ongoing

28. Blog 1001 times -- 45 posts this period (412/1001)

30. Finish 100 creative writing prompts (4/100) -- I only do these at the coffeehouse...  I need to do more.

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (8/30) -- Completed the Read Your Name Challenge with 23 books.

33. Read my height in books -- 5 inches this period (55/68in.)

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge (79,394/250,000)

60. Try 30 new recipes (25/30)

• Chocolate avocado muffins
• Blueberry buttermilk cake

65. Save $5 for every task completed ($55)

100. Scrapbook 100 pages (84/100) -- 16 pages in the boys' books completed.

What I Plan to Do Next Week.

35. Join or create a book club -- Still waiting to find a good one.

72. Complete “50 Questions that Free Your Mind” (20/50) -- Have the templates ready, just haven't answered them yet.

Monthly Goal -- July

My day in 6 words.  Ongoing for the next three months.

Take 26 photos of things that inspire me (one for each letter of the alphabet).  I am going to try and complete this goal this month...  Maybe the bosy can help me think of things.

Overall Progress

14/101