Roundup AND Focus! (Wednesday)

Today is a bit of a combination post. I've not posted in so long---two whole weeks!---that it'll be good to get the head screwed back on, all around.

My focus, really, is very simple---get back to keeping track of what I'm eating (and eating healthier), spend some more time exercising, and otherwise just keep keeping on. I need to find an easy way of keeping track of this, and of reminding myself to do it---something portable, private, and non-silly.

Also, I need to write more.

As far as the roundup goes:

1. White afghan: This has been going slowly. My hands have been acting up (rather nastily), and so my crocheting has slowed to a standstill as I try to get them back into working condition. I think I'm going to focus on finishing up a couple other projects which are, at this stage, just needing some fine-tuning to be finished.

2. Yarn bin: I gave away some scrap yarn, as I said in the last post, but then I also thrifted some yarn the other day. Oh darn.

7. Perfecting the noms: So making hopjesvla again soon. I have all this coffee leftover that I can't drink because ow. I'm in need of a few other good puddings/custards, though. There's a nutmeg and maple custard I've been eyeing over at Smitten Kitchen, which I messed up horridly the last time I tried it. (This, I think, is my story with custards and puddings: Fuck up horribly the first time, make it great the second.)

12. Nail polish: Very excited to be doing a girls' night with one of my housemates and a friend. Toe-painting will be happening.

13. One new dish: I tried "Java Jacks" from The AntiCraft yesterday. I used double-strength coffee, but still barely got any coffee flavor(!), and the pancakes were pretty dry. Not making these ones again, I think, although I do love the idea of coffee + sweetened condensed milk in a pancake.

14. Capsule warddrobe: Having such problems here! You see, I like black. I also like grey, navy and brown as base colors. The last of these three are very easy to match with a wide variety of colors---those neutrals are pretty interchangeable. Black, on the other hand, I find to be a pretty stark color that, well, pretty much only goes with... black (and grey and white). So, I'm torn between being colorful and turning corporate goth.

15. Key interest: It remains below $3000, and I've had the luck to get it lower and lower each month. Barring disaster, I might even be able to pay it *fully* off if I do it right.

19. Emergency fund: I've expanded it to 4 months (relatively generous) living expenses. Ideally I'd like it to be at six months before I graduate, but we'll see how that works out. It's quite difficult to keep that much money aside when you make 16.5k a year.

Then again, the idea of graduating (without a job) and needing that money is also god-damned terrifying.

21. Fruits and veggies: Yeah, whoops.

22. Exercise: Ditto.

24/26. Dentist/brush/flossing: Doing fine, and again looking forward to clean teeth in early October.

28. Calling the 'rents: I've been calling them! And it's awesome! It makes me happy!

32. All music: 3509/6354.

36. Lang practice: I started out very strong this August, and then poof! None. I'm feeling the craving again, though, which is good.

37. Making the bed: Being going strong on this. It's nice to have a neat bed (especially when my books decide to escape their bookshelves, i.e. I don't have room for them on my bookshelves).

85. Japan: This is not happening, as it turns out. The paperwork got messed up and I would only be able to be there for about three weeks---and I can't quite justify the ticket for that right now. I'm sad, but I think I will just go visit my parents and N. instead.

91. Dissertation: I'm almost done with the first draft of the first chapter! We'll see how this goes....

95. Charity: Donated $100 the other day---a friend of a friend desperately needs a life-saving surgery, has no insurance, and is already broke from medical bills.