Resolution update: June 2012
/1. Don’t die.
Still breathing.
2. Lose ten pounds.
Here’s the good news:
I lost 38 pounds over a period of two years, and I have not put any of that weight back on.
Here’s the bad news:
I have still not lost one additional pound since then. I would like to place the blame on the birth of my son (and the slightly reduced workout schedule), the heel spur that has prevented me from running as often as I would like, the emergence of the golfing season, which provides considerably less exercise than basketball, and the amount of time I have spent on my ass working on my book.
But in the end, excuses suck, as do my results thus far.
3. Do at least 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups five days a day. Also complete at least two two-minute planks five days per week.
Done. I am also quite relieved that I moved this goal from seven days a week to five days a week in January. The two days off each week helps a lot.
4. Practice the flute for at least an hour a week.
Flute still broken. I’ll drop it off for repairs this week. I promise.
5. Complete my fifth novel before the Ides of March the birth of my next child.
Not complete. I’ve given myself three more weeks, which means writing fulltime, which I should have probably been doing already.
6. Complete my sixth novel.
Looing forward to returning to my sixth (and seventh) novel after I manage to complete this albatross of a fifth novel.
7. Sell one children’s book to a publisher.
I have been contacted by a children’s book editor who read and liked MEMOIRS OF AN IMAGINARY FRIEND and who may have interest in one or more of the manuscripts. My agent and I have been revising two manuscripts and we should have something to present by month’s end.
8. Complete the book proposal for my non-fiction, photographic collaborative project.
I will contact the photographer this week.
9. Complete three chapters of my memoir.
This project, which will be part of an overall proposal, will be completed this summer, but only after the albatross is killed.
10. Complete at least twelve blog posts on my brother and sister blog.
Unprompted by me, my sister wrote a piece about the games we played as children, and I must respond this week. Three down. Nine to go.
Kelli continues to write these posts on her phone, since her laptop is no longer functioning. I have an old laptop to give her when she finally makes it over to my house to see the baby.
11. Become certified to teach high school English by completing two required classes.
I need to follow-up with Elysha on this. I suspect that any work that she was doing in this regard came to a halt when Charlie was born. Now that he is a month old, perhaps we can finalize these plans.
12. Publish at least one Op-Ed in a newspaper.
Same as last month. I published a piece in Beyond the Margins in April, which is not exactly a newspaper but is a great place (and maybe even a better place) for an author to publish.
I still have two pieces currently in the pipeline with hopes of both finding their way into print soon. I also wrote a blog post this month that I chose to keep off the blog in hopes of placing it somewhere else as well.
13. Attend at least five Moth events with the intention of telling a story.
My third Moth appearance will now take place at the GrandSLAM championship on July 17 at the Highline Ballroom in Manhattan. The theme of the night is “Fall from Grace.” If you would like to attend the show, let me know and I can alert you as to when tickets are available.
I have also planned for my next two Moth events, both taking place over the summer. They are:
Monday, July 30 (Theme: Judgment)
Tuesday, August 14 (Theme: About Time)
If you would like to attend either of these StorySLAMS with me, please let me know. I’m always looking for company.
14. Complete the necessary revisions of our rock opera (The Clowns) so that it can be staged as a full production in 2013.
I have cleared a week in July to complete these revisions with my partner. We should have actual dates for our next production of the show soon.
My partner has also begun writing music for the next rock opera. It appears that he is sucking me in all over again.
15. Rid Elysha and myself of all education debt before the end of the year.
Incremental progress has been made on this front in June.
16. Give yoga an honest try.
I have a friend with some free classes who has offered to bring me to a lesson. Also, a yoga instructor and friend may be conducting some classes in her home this summer. One way or another, this will happen.
17. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.
I mediated for five minutes a day on everyday in June, and I think I might actually be benefiting from it. Or at least doing it somewhat correctly. I’ve been able to clear my mind of all thoughts on a fairly regular basis, though doing so seems entirely unintentional on my part. It just happened one day, and it’s happening fairly regularly now. I sit down, begin breathing, and suddenly the ten minutes (my new time length) is done, almost as if it hasn’t happened.
I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do next, but this ten minute start to the day feels good, so I’ll just keep doing it and see what happens.
18. Agree to try at least one new dish per month, even if it contains ingredients that I wouldn’t normally consider palatable.
In June I tired a spinach lasagna, which was not unpalatable.
19. Conduct the ninth No-Longer-Annual A-Mattzing Race in 2012.
The race is planned for the fall.
20. Post my progress in terms of these resolutions on this blog on the first day of every month.
Two days late.