Knowing Bliss

Hmm. So March was 50/50. I did write in my journal almost every day (missed one or two) and I found it really useful – not particularly centering, but it was helpful when I found myself in a bit of a funk to go back over the entries to figure out when it started and what it might be tied to (conclusion: Mix of Quaker retreat comedown, one of my favorite coworkers leaving, and Daylights Savings). So that was good and I hope I keep it up.

The not do – spectacular failure. There were a few days when I didn’t read stuff and they were rabidly productive. I even had time at the end of the day to work on statistical programming language skills, since I got all my other crap done, and didn’t have anything else to do. So, you know . . . go me. However, I hit an uninspired streak, slid back into checking facebook, jezebel and gawker incessantly and spending too much time doing nothing in gmail. Urgh. Maybe I can revive this as a goal later on.

For April:

Not Do: Soda from a can or bottle. I drink diet pepsi waaaay more than I need to. Yah, no calories, but the transport, materials and chemical load to my body (not to mention acid to my poor teeth) accompany something of no real worth (except that it keeps me from indulging in sweets and goes well with popcorn). However, giving myself an out on ordering at bars because when I’m not drinking and want to avoid questions about it, I usually get a diet coke since who knows – could have rum in it. And, although the chemical factors are still there, the environmental impact is not as grotesque. So. Longest explanation of a simple exclusion EVER.

The DO: Devotionals. Daily. My inner self needs help and focus and quiet. I can’t just show up at Meeting once a week and expect an hour of meaningful silence w/out any practice during the week. My goal is a ten minute period in the mornings. So far have failed utterly, since I slept through my alarm on Thursday and decided last night to stay with a friend rather than biking home from Cambridge at 2 AM. So. Um. April. Go.

So February went WAY better than January. I flossed, brushed and rinsed every single night in February, and now it seems to be pretty well ingrained (Mom told me it takes 21 days to make a habit, so hopefully this is pretty well stuck, what with the extra week).

I also was successful in not reading blog comments – maybe a dozen slips – but overall, quite good.

So for March:

My DO is writing in my journal – at least a sentence or two – every day.

My NOT DO is reading any blogs or facebook during work hours. A quick mental break becomes a long mental break really quickly. News is okay, and writing here is okay (before you ask, Dory) because they keep my brain engaged in a way that passive reading doesn’t. Two days in, my productivity is way up, and I find my friends status updates far less intriguing when I read them all at once, at night.

So instead of new years’ resolutions, I decided each month this year I will select one thing to do, and one thing to not do.

In January, my DO was to write down everything I ate. I didn’t do that. I think I did three days maybe out of the whole month. I was more conscious of what I took in than in December, however, so I’ll give myself a D-.

My NOT DO was buying coffee that was pre-made (i.e., buying beans for home or office is fine!). This is partly a money thing and partly an environmental resources thing. I buy several cups a week pre-made, and that’s just silly. I did crack a few times on this (usually the result of inadequate planning coupled with needing to be able to focus at work when travelling off site) – but by and large I was successful. I even managed to not buy coffee while travelling to brooklyn, albeit I did so by bringing Melissa a coffee maker as a housewarming gift. So, A-.

My DO for February will be to brush, floss and flouride rinse every night before bed. The NOT DO is reading comments on blogs. I have a few blogs I read and love, who actually enrich my mind occasionally, or at least amuse me, and frequently direct me to interesting things. So the blogs are not a waste of time per say, but occasionally i read the comments and really – it’s never new, it’s usually frustrating, and it’s not illuminating. I don’t spend a lot of time doing this as it is, but any time is too much time. Plus, Lent starts the 17th of February, so maybe I’m taking an easy one so I can enjoy the ride up to Ash Wednesday.

Way back at the young age of 26 and a half, I wrote a list of 27 things I wanted to accomplish by the age of 27. I accomplished 11 of them, and partly accomplished some of the others. So here’s the edited list of things I accomplished in my 26th year. The bolded ones were from the original list, and the other ones were unplanned or happened in the first six months of the year.

1. Biked along the north shore with my mom.
2. Obtained a full-time job in my field.
3. Joined an Ultimate Frisbee team.
4. Stood up as a maid of honor for Emily’s wedding.
5. Knitted my first blanket.
6. Read 12 4 books from 1001 Books to Read before You Die.
7. Booked a flight to Oregon.
8. Monitored my spending for four of the all six months remaining.
9. Heard the sand singing at Singing Beach.
10. Swam in Walden Pond.
11. Took another French course.
12. Ate a lobster.
13. Joined a Community Supported Agriculture program.
14. Bought a bike, and became a bike commuter.
15. Took an overnight Greyhound to get home for Christmas Eve.
16. Campaigned for Barack Obama by knocking on doors in New Hampshire.
17. Emptied the “to do box” in my closet.
18. Celebrated Dad’s 60th birthday with the whole family.
19. Texted Emily more often.
20. Took a Pilates class.
21. Had a threepeat for malaria championships.
22. Volunteered with the Food Project.
23. Gave up alcohol for Lent.
24. Made a summer trip home.
25. Sang karaoke.
26. Became a semi-professional dog sitter.
27. Did something so surprising to myself that I couldn’t think to put it here. (Which I’m keeping to myself, thanks.)

In celebration of the beginning of the 27th year, I thought it was time I move away from the old xanga blog, which has served me well since Darius suggested it in 2005 (and promptly abandoned his own).

So here it is, a new blog, without any mistakes in it.