Top 5 Records Presents - Obligatory End of the Year Post!

Wow, where did December go? It feels like finals week has just ended, but somehow it's the last day of the year and all. When school is out, it just feels like time has no meaning. I make the same to-do list for days and days, but just end up sleeping forever and then staying up all night on the internet. XD But one thing on my to-do list has a deadline, and here we are at the end of the year, so I can actually check this one off: End of the Year Blog Post. :D

Top Five Movies of 2010
I haven't actually seen a lot of the ones people keep raving about, so these are the top 5 of the ones I saw.

5. How To Train Your Dragon - release date: March 26, 2010

This was such an awesome movie, and not just for little kids, either. It was well-done, hilarious, and heart-warming. Overall it was a great movie, and a good time for everybody. :D

4. The Lovely Bones - release date: January 15, 2010

I went into this one expecting the worst, since I loved the book on which it was based, but it did an incredible job telling the story. The acting was pretty amazing - Stanley Tucci, has he ever been anything than amazing in anything he's done? - and the special effects and camera work were breathtaking. It was such a beautiful movie.

3. Kick-A** - release date: April 16, 2010

This was a freakin' awesome movie - kids being irl superheroes, a little girl just generally being a bamf, THIS GUY:

Yeah. Look at him. :D I was pretty decently pleased with this movie. Apparently they're making a sequel, though, and I don't know how I feel about that. =/

2. Scott Pilgrim VS The World - release date: August 13, 2010

Um, how freaking awesome is this movie? Answer: the most. :D It was so funny, and so sweet, and RIDICULOUSLY RIDICULOUS, and nerdtastic, and beautifully put together... I'm definitely buying this movie at some point. And also, Michael Cera! Come on! It's MICHAEL CERA.

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 - release date: November 19, 2010

You guys knew I'd pick Harry Potter for number one, didn't you? XD But seriously, this movie was the best movie of the whole series. They're all crap, especially the sixth one, but this one was... nearly perfect. It was heart-wrenching in all the right places, they got most of the story correct, the acting was even decent in parts. There was a scene, guys - there was a scene where I didn't hate DanRad. I KNOW. But it happened. There were even a couple of moments when EmWat was all right. And yes, there were a few things I would change, because they can never just get the freaking movies right, I mean come on, the book is RIGHT THERE, just READ IT and FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS, you don't even need to write a SCRIPT, but overall, it was a fantastic movie, and I cried forever and ever. But I would have even if it was horrible, so that's not really relevant. XD

RUNNERS-UP:
1. Easy A - oh, man, this movie was fantastic. It's seriously almost tied with HTTYD. I laughed, I was invested in the storyline, the acting was great... it was such a creative premise, too. I enjoyed it immensely.
2. The Social Network - this was a pretty funtimes movie, and it has Michael Cera's older dark-haired brother, Jesse Eisenberg. It was entertaining and well done, but I don't know if I would buy this movie. I might, though. I do love Facebook. :D
3. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief - THIS WAS SUCH AN EPIC MOVIE. I haven't read the books yet, but I intend to because this movie was so awesome. Plus, sexy-Zac-Efron-lookin'-kid, Logan Lerman:

4. Youth In Revolt - not the best movie ever, but entertaining and sweet, plus, you know, Michael Cera. Even better, TWO Michael Ceras and one has a mustache:


Best terrible horror movie of the year - Splice. I don't even.
Runner-up - The Crazies. It was just ridiculous and irritating after a while.


Top 5 Best Albums and/or Bands I Discovered in 2010
I don't really keep up with music like I used to, so I don't pay a whole lot of attention when new albums come out, unless it's a band I'm really into at that moment. And most of those have been wizard rock or internet musicians for the last few months. XD I could probably do a better list if I paid more attention to the music of 2010 and had more time, but if you want to read that kind of post, I'll link you to my friend's blog when he posts it. XD

5. The Bird and the Bee - I don't know a whole lot about this band, other than they are ADORABLE. They came on my last.fm one time, and I was intrigued, so I downloaded their self-titled album, and I kind of love them a lot. :D Her voice is just freaking awesome, and I love how bouncy and adorable their songs are. GOOD TIMES.

4. Portugal. The Man - Their album Church Mouth is the one I'm most familiar with, and it. Is. AWESOME. A couple of friends introduced them to me on a road trip this summer, and I liked what I heard so I got a couple of their albums. They pretty much rock. That is all. :D

3. The Gregory Brothers - The Autotune The News guys! They're a real band, and they're REALLY AWESOME. Their voices are all just amazing, and their EP is five songs of awesomeness. I quite like them. They're a little folksy-bluesy-poppy-rockish, and it's a good time.

2. The Mountain Goats - Thanks, John Green, for turning me on to this band. They are just... basically, if Endless Mike and the Beagle Club and the Decemberists had a baby, it would be the Mountain Goats. Lyics and music like Colin Meloy, voice and style of song like Endless Mike. Oh man, this band is great. :3

1. Ministry of Magic's new album Magic is Might is the best album I have heard all year, probably. I cannot stop listening to it. It's amazing. Not only because I love Harry Potter and I love the Ministry of Magic, but also - the songs are just amazingly written, the music is so good, and it's just a fantastic album. Gah, I love them.

RUNNERS-UP
1. The Black Keys - I was introduced to them at a party this summer, and man, they are cool. The album Brothers is a pretty good album. I really like their voices, as well.
2. Freelance Whales - Darren Criss's brother is in this band, and while that's not the ONLY reason I got their album, it was a little of the reason. ^_^ But seriously, they're SO CUTE. And their music is REALLY good. They also sort of remind me of the Decemberists, maybe if they weren't so depressing and stuck in the 1700s in England (or on ships, as they often are). XD Really good, solid indie rock band.
3. Weezer's new album Hurley, though I haven't listened to it much... I listened to it all the way through a couple of times when I first got it, but haven't really since. But it was very good, and a lot of people have agreed, so I'm putting it on the list. ^_^


Top 5 TV Shows I Watched in 2010

5. Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Oh, Joss. I know I'm like, seven years late or something, but STILL. I wish I'd been a fan when it was on. It's so good - even though I hate half the characters, it's still so funny, so interesting, so well-crafted, so unique... it's definitely one of the best shows that has ever been on television.

4. How I Met Your Mother - Ahhh, this show is soooo gooood. I don't even care what other people say, this show has been consistently awesome since the first season. It's had some not-so-great episodes, but even those were better than most shows' best episodes. I love this show, and I want it to go on forever. :3

3. Dexter - Oh man, Dexter is a great show. It's SO GOOD. I could have lived without season 3, but whatevs, all the rest of it is so brilliant it makes up for it.

2. Doctor Who - I AM SO GLAD I STARTED WATCHING DOCTOR WHOOOO. Oh my god, this SHOW. It is so AWESOME. IT'S RIDICULOUS HOW AWESOME DOCTOR WHO IS. And I'll leave it at that.

1. Community - Probably my favorite show right now, for reals. Even more than Glee or HIMYM, even more than Buffy or Doctor Who. It's SO FUNNY. You guys. SOOO FUUUNNNNYYYY. And so clever and well-written, too, it's not just stupid jokes. All the actors are fantastic, it never feels forced, it's always ridiculous but somehow seems plausible for these people, and it's still got the right amount of drama and romance and all that other stuff. :D It's truly a terrific show, and I hope it stays on the air forever and ever, as well. ^_^

RUNNERS-UP:

1. Glee - I'm not so impressed with the first part of season 2, but there were some excellent episodes, so I'm not going to write it off yet. :D Besides, it still makes me really happy, so. Yeah.
2. The Big Bang Theory - Funny, smart, nerdy, at times irritating, but mostly adorable and hilarious. This is a GREAT show.
3. Pushing Daisies - Awww, this show was so adorable. :3 I wish there had been more of it - Kristen Chenoweth was brilliant on it, and it was just such a cute premise. I really really liked this show. ^_^

Top 5 Books Read In 2010

5. Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson - This was such a cute book! Maureen Johnson is hilarious and a little crazy, but her books are so well-written, and her characters are so fleshed out, it's awesome. This is a really good sort of coming-of-age quest-type book, one of those teens-on-a-soul-searching-road-trip type books, and it's amazing.

4. Looking For Alaska by John Green - John Green's book are all sort of along the same vein, the teen-taking-a-life-changing-road-trip vein. This one in particular doesn't have a road trip, per se, but it's a kid going away to school and all, so same diff. XD But it so fully embodies the kind of memories and feelings that I want to have from this time in my life, and it's so sad and poignant and John Green is such a good writer... it touched me, okay? It might not be your favorite, but it's mine. ^_^

3. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman - I just finished this a couple of nights ago, and holy crap. It takes a while to get into, but boy howdy, does it keep you turning pages once you do. SO GOOD. It's such an interesting premise, and you get so attached to the characters and so affected by what's going on in the book, you just can't put it down. I'm excited to start the next one.

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Man, this series. THIS SERIES. Definitely the best series I've read in the last year, though really sad and kind of horrible. But it's so fast-paced and thrilling! It's like a quest but without the questing. It's AWESOME.

1. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - The sequel to The Hunger Games, I think I liked it better than the first. It was just so much more intense.

Okay, I can't think of much else to do a list of, and this has gotten really long, and it's 6:15 in the morning, SO... I will leave you with a few of my goals for 2011.

* Edit my NaNo novel and get the free copy from CreateSpace
* Get all As and Bs this semester (a C is okay for Math XD)
* Blog more!
* Finish our Twilight musical and film it
* Stop drinking soda
* Stop eating so much fast food/junk food
* Learn to actually play an instrument
* Start doing yoga and/or dance classes or something active

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope you have a safe and joyous New Year's Eve, and hope 2011 is better than 2010. What are some of your resolutions or goals?

Pointless post is pointless. :D

I think I've decided I'm not going to blog every day in October. I was considering it, but it's very difficult sometimes to come up with stuff to talk about. And I don't want this blog to be just random nonsense, I want to plan out some really cool posts. Also, in November, I'll be doing NaNoWriMo, and I don't think I'll have time to keep up the blogging every day thing. So I'll take a break in October and get a routine going for blogging. :D

I know you guys care so much about that. ^_^

Speaking of NaNoWriMo, I AM EXCITED THIS YEAR. I sucked last year, so I'm really excited to win again. Somehow I can't make myself do it any other month than November. =/ But I've got an idea for a plot already! I'm stoked. :D Are any of you guys doing NaNoWriMo? You should.
http://www.nanowrimo.org

So that's what I've been thinking about today, figuring out a schedule for my life. I need to have time for homework, blogging, writing, and the internet, as well as school, a job, and sleep. Then there's family times, hanging out times, helping around the house, and hobby type stuffs. Lately I'm having a terrible time managing my time, hard as I try, so I really need to just sit down and schedule it out. I like making schedules and stuff. ^_^ So yay.

ANYWAY, that concludes today's episode of Erin Babbles About Nothing In Particular. Whooo! Hopefully I will have something more important to babble about tomorrow. By the way, fall TV premiere week starts tomorrow! I am excited! :D

This still counts as a post on Friday.

Okay, so TECHNICALLY, since it's after midnight, I've missed a day, but since I haven't gone to BED yet, I'm saying the day's not over yet. :D Shut up, it's my blog.

A friend asked me recently why I decided to start this blog, and I thought I'd answer that question on my blog. :D There are really 3 main reasons why:

1) To work on my writing

I want to be a writer, and in order to do that, I need to write all the time and in all sorts of forms. I write poetry and stories for fun, I write essays for school, and now I'm giving blogging a go. There are some things I notice in my writing that I know I need to fix, and I'm hoping that with practice, and practicing in different styles, I can improve my overall talent and find my own voice with which to write novels and things.

2) To write about Important Issues

Recently I've become very interested in keeping up with things going on today, like politics and environmental issues and whatnot. I figured a good way to keep up with these things, to voice my own opinions and views, and to maybe strike a spark in other people my age, would be to start a blog focused on political things. After a few posts, though, I decided to branch out. I want to share my opinions on all kinds of things, not just political issues. I wanted to be able to talk about whatever I wanted, but still with the same sort of goal - to be educated and keep up with things going on around me, and to maybe educate someone else.

3) To be INTERNET FAMOUS

I don't really expect to become famous through this blog, but it would be cool, huh? :D I've decided that internet fame would be the best kind of fame, because you'd get the best bits of being famous without the insanity of never being able to go anywhere or having to have bodyguards or whatever. So if I'm going to be in any way famous, it'll be through the internet or as an author. 'Cause you never hear about crazy screaming mobs chasing after authors, no matter how famous they are. :D You just have to watch out for the crazy obsessed sociopaths, and you'll be fine.

So yeah, those are my main reasons for creating this blog. Mostly the first two. XD I really just love to write, and I love to express my opinion and hear other peoples' opinions on things. And with my recent interest in discussing politics and religion and all this controversial type stuff, I thought perhaps this blog could end up making a difference, even if it's to change one person's mind about a certain issue. That would be really awesome to me. On top of that, if I gain some sort of insight about my writing through these posts, that would be awesome as well. And as added bonuses, it's fun, it's an easy way to get in touch with people, and it means a legit reason to spend more time online. XD

Utter failure, but a glimmer of hope! :D

It's so rare that "real life" gets in the way of my interneting, so when it happens I'm always taken completely off-guard. I've actually had like, stuff to DO lately, which is weird in and of itself, and then school started back up today, so things have been hectic.

My classes are pretty good. I only have to go to campus Mondays and Wednesdays from 12 to 4, so that's neat. Then I have two online classes which should be pretty easy and maybe even fun. I'm taking English (the 2nd American course), Math 101 (basic algebra, kill me now D:), Spanish 101 (EXCITED), and Music Appreciation (should be fun and easy). So I'm fairly excited for this semester. :D

UNFORTUNATELY, that means that I kinda failed a lot on my goals thing. These past two weeks, I was supposed to:

17. Learn three simple songs on my lap harp -- FAILED
54. Learn to juggle -- DIDN'T EVEN TRY D:
16. Write a musical (well, finish the one I'm working on, excluding music) -- WORKING ON IT

I haven't completed my musical yet, but we're getting there. We're very nearly finished with all the WRITING, and then we'll just have to do the music, and then we can cast and start filming. :D I'm excited for that, too, though it's probably going to be a month or two before we're ready to film. Still, it's exciting. :D

I'm really not doing too much better at this goal thing, am I? I guess I just really don't care as much as I thought I did about these things. XD But I always get really optimistic and excited around the change of the seasons, so maybe it'll be all right. We're planning some pretty extensive redecorating stuff for my house, so I'll probably be pretty busy between that, writing a musical, and college... so maybe I'll give the goal challenge a rest for a bit. I'll work on the sign language, accordion, and finish up my musical, and once all that's done and life has settled a bit into a routine, I'll pick it back up. I'M TOTALLY NOT QUITTING. I'm coming back to it, I swear! :D

And I want to focus a lot more on writing - I mean, that IS what I want to do with my life, is write books. So I really need to be writing more. I write a lot, just not... stories and books and things. I write a lot of nonsense, is what I write. What I'm hoping for is to get into a really good routine in September and October, so that by the time NaNoWriMo rolls around, I'll be totally ready to knock out a novel in 30 days. Reading the Hunger Games (MOCKINGJAY COMES OUT TODAY OMGWTF) has really inspired me again, like Un Lun Dun did two years ago, like Gemma Doyle did last year. It seems every year I read an amazing book or series, and then I don't do anything with that inspiration, so in November I try to re-create that kind of amazingness and expect it to come out amazing, instead of being edited and re-edited into amazingness. O_o If that made any sense at all. The point is, I need to write more, so that will be my ultimate goal until I get back into this challenge thing: get a writing routine going, like an hour a day or something. That's all I'm asking.

It's late, later than I've been up in a while (I know, it's weird for me too), so I'm going to bed now. Buenos noches. LOOK AT ME KNOWING SPANISH WHHOOOOOO. Goodnight guys.

In which I TOTALLY OWN at the challenge game.

I am sick, and it sucks. BUT I have a blog to post to and a challenge to update you all on, and so I must sally forth despite my wobbly head and ouchy throat.

So for the last two weeks my challenges were:
18. Learn at least three simple songs on my accordion -- OWNED
27. Write some letters to the editor of the Sun News -- TOTALLY DID IT
52. Start learning American Sign Language. -- STARTED, AT LEAST

I OWNED this chunk of the challenge, which is excellent since I failed so spectacularly on the first bit. I learned "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "Mary Had A Little Lamb," and "London Bridge," NOT TO MENTION "Zelda's Lullaby" and "Epona's Song" from The Ocarina of Time. :D I am a huge nerd and I am proud of it, you be quiet. ^_^ I (crappily) recorded all of this on my digital camera, but we've been having some computer issues of late so it will have to be uploaded later. But if you don't believe me, ask my parents, who had to listen to me play them over and over and over.

I wrote a letter to the editor of the paper, but it turns out you're only allowed one every 30 days, so I only did the one. I have no idea if it was printed or put on the website or what, but here it is, copied from my email:

"Have you noticed the enormous amount of tow-away zones in the Myrtle Beach area? Probably not, because the tow companies like to hide their signs where you can't see them, so that you will park there unknowingly and have to give them $200. The area right behind the late Crazy J's/The Basement is a designated parking area, but when you pull in, the first thing you see RIGHT AFTER the "PARKING" sign is a row of parking spaces that are in a tow-away zone. There are about ten spaces, and the Corner Cars Towing sign is at the very end, right behind a light. How are you ever supposed to see that, unless you're parking in the space right in front of it? And they're not the only company that does that, although they are by FAR the rudest and most difficult I've ever dealt with. I wish it were mandatory that the tow-away areas had to be CLEARLY marked, from ALL angles, instead of just a tiny sign that you can't read as you drive into Piper's Point Apartments, or a hidden sign in a designated parking lot. Please stop trying to screw us all over, City of Myrtle Beach."

SO YEAH. OWNAGE. NEXT TASK. :D I started learning ASL, but I'm not very advanced yet. I can do the alphabet, almost entirely from memory, and a few words. But this will be an ongoing goal, I just have to like... remember to practice. XD

I've made up a little schedule thing for when school starts back up, so I can remember to do all the things I keep meaning to do, like helping keep the house tidy, working out (failed again to go to the gym), learning languages and instruments, and writing. I've got a laptop now so I should be able to be more on top of things. School starts in like, two weeks or something, which is slightly terrifying because I'm not ready, and slightly exciting because I'm bored. ^_^

OKAY. So for the next two weeks, these will be my challenges:
17. Learn three simple songs on my lap harp,
54. Learn to juggle,
16. Write a musical (excluding the music for the songs - the book and the lyrics can be done in two weeks, but the music will take longer).

Unofficially, I will be trying to keep learning sign language, keep practicing the accordion, and try to get into a gym schedule. I don't think I will be reaching my weight loss goal, but if I can get into a regular exercise regimen, I'll be satisfied.

Semi-accomplishment...

So last week I introduced the amazing goal-accomplishment challenge extravaganza. My goals for the week were:

2) Leave Post-Its with happy messages on them everywhere I go this week! -- FAILED
3) Give 10 random people a small present or a card. -- FAILED
44) Tweet a random fact every day. -- MOSTLY WON
31) Go to the gym thrice a week. -- FAILED

EPIIIC FAAAAIIIL. I didn't do any Post-Its or presents, but I Tweeted a fact every day but Friday and Saturday. I didn't go to the gym, but I did walk a lot on Wednesday, so perhaps that counts... buuuut I didn't do it again, so I still failed. D:

GO ME. =/ See, this is why I need this blog! This is why you're here! HELP ME NOT FAIL. I mean, if that's how well I do with stupid, easy tasks like those, HOW AM I EVER GOING TO DO THE BIGGER ONES?!

The next batch of goals will be slightly more important, with slightly longer deadlines. I will still be aiming for the gym three times a week, along with:

18. Learn at least three simple songs on my accordion,
27. Write some letters to the editor of the Sun News,
52. Start learning American Sign Language.

I will have two weeks to complete these three goals (posting some sort of proof, like a video of me playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on the accordion), so on the 7th we will find out if I get to be punished or not. :D The rules still stand for the gym, too - if I don't go to the gym or do some sort of vigorous physical activity AT LEAST TWICE a week, I shall be punished.

Which brings us to the topic of punishment for failing so hard this week! Yaaay. Please leave your suggestions in the comments, and we will vote on the best one. Then I will do it and upload some sort of proof (video, audio, whatevs) and everyone will have a grand laugh at my expense.

In other news, my face got wrocked off this week when I went to see The Parselmouths, The Moaning Myrtles, The Whomping Willows, Justin Finch-Fletchley, The Blibbering Humdingers, and ALL CAPS! :D It was pretty spectacular, and the trip was just generally awesome. <3 YAY HARRY POTTER. I am such a huge nerd. BUT I am okay with that. ^_^

Okay. So. That's about it for now. :D Suggest punishment ideas in the comments please!

Look at all these updates! Whooo!

It seems as though they have FINALLY capped the oil leak, and so far it's held up. They said the naked eye could even see the difference within just a few hours or something, so that's encouraging. Too bad it took them EIGHTY-NINE DAYS TO DO THIS. Although, there is "something" seeping near the oil well, but they're not sure what it is yet or if it's an issue. I guess we'll find out pretty soon, huh? It'll either explode and destroy the ocean, or it'll be okay. =/

In less important news, I've caught up with the vlogbrothers! Wooot. And my epic wizard rock concert of awesomesauce is only TWO DAYS AWAY. :DDD I can't even.

Okay, onto REAL business. The challenge thing is going okay so far. I've Tweeted my random facts, but I have yet to give presents or leave Post-Its (I'm planning to do a lot of that on my trip, though) and I haven't yet made it to the gym. BUT. I have tomorrow, then if there's a gym at the hotel, Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, and then Thursday and Friday. So. I can totally make it. :D I'm fairly excited. I know these are silly tasks, but considering a) how I haven't even been able to do half of them yet, b) how weird I am around people, and c) how long I've wanted to do this kind of stuff, I'm okay with starting off with these. The next ones will probably be some sort of real challenge, something I really want to do, and will be more interesting for me to blog about.

Changing subjects! A friend and I are writing a musical based on Twilight, only BETTER. It will very much be a parody, and it will be hilarious, and we will post it on YouTube when we're finished. It's actually going very well. We have a few songs completed, some scenes totally finished, and most of the cast assembled. We're very excited. Except for all the thinking about Twilight we have to do... that part sucks. =/

Anyway, friends, that is all from me tonight. Just a little update on some stuff. Leave me your thoughts, comments, questions, whatevs. I'll probably update Thursday, or maybe Wednesday night, after I get home. There will be many stories, and hopefully some success on the challenge front! :D STAY TUNED. I'M SURE IT WILL BE FASCINATING.

Exciting new project! GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENT!

A little over a year ago, I made a list of 102 goals I wanted to accomplish in my life. Some were short-term or of indeterminate deadlines, like learning a new language or finishing at Tech; and some were longer term, like living in NYC for a while or being a vegetarian for a year. After a year, I've crossed off 12 of my goals:

19. Write a speech.
20. Give it!
35. Get my chest tattoo.
39. Protest something.
47. Buy a new car.
50. Be nicer in my day-to-day life.
54. Sow sunshine - plant sunflowers!
55. Take a random road trip.
57. Try Thai food.
67. Dumpster dive!
98. Save a life.
100. Try a new food every month.

So you can see the variety in my goals. There are four languages, three instruments, two sports, two dances, three body mods, and more writing goals than you can shake a stick at. And this would all be well and good except... well, I suck at keeping up with things. This is how it usually goes for me:

DAY ONE OF NEW LIFE-CHANGING GOAL ACHIEVEMENT CHALLENGE!
Me: I'm SO PUMPED for this new goal! My life is going to be TOTALLY AWESOME when I lose weight/write a book in 30 days/learn to play guitar/make a dress/become a vegetarian! I'm totally doing it!

DAY FOUR OF NLCGAC!
Me: I am SO GOOD AT THIS. I've totally stuck to my goals and am going to CHANGE MY LIFE. Whoooo!

DAY FIVE OF NLCGAC!
Me: Whoops, I overslept/am too busy/really wanted a soda/am sick/stupid excuses. Guess I'll start over tomorrow!

DAY SIX OF NLCGAC!
Me: What is the point? Everything I try to do is stupid and I always fail and I can't do anything right. I might as well eat a whole pan of brownies/sleep 18 hours a day/waste my life on YouTube/quit school and my job because I SUCK AND WILL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING.

DAY ONE OF MY FAILURE AT EVERYTHING!
All of my friends and family: So how's that thing you were doing coming along?
Me: ... yeah, I had to quit that.

DAY ONE OF NEW LIFE-CHANGING GOAL ACCOMPLISHING CHALLENGE, FOR REAL THIS TIME!
Me: THIS TIME I'M SERIOUS. I'm going to TOTALLY win! I CAN DO IT!

Et cetera.


So, I'm total crap at accomplishing things, but that was what this summer was supposed to be about - I'm jobless, I'm not in school for three months, I've got all this free time, so I was going to spend it improving myself and doing things to make me happier. And as of halfway through July, I HAVE TOTALLY FAILED. :D Big surprise!

And that, dear bloggy blog, is where you come in. I am going to BLOG MY WAY TO SUCCESS. :D I figure with an audience/people who will be disappointed if I fail, I will have incentive OTHER than me just wanting it to happen. Also, as an added bonus, IF I FAIL, YOU GET TO PUNISH ME! :D If I state a clear goal, like "I want to weigh 30 lbs by July 23" (only more realistic than that, obvs) and I don't win, you, my dear readers, will be able to submit punishments and vote on the ones you like the most. Obviously they will have to be non-lethal, legal things, but humiliating and gross and painful are okay. :D DOESN'T THAT SOUND FUN.

So here's how it's going to work.
* I have 50 goals on my list (I trimmed some from my original list - things like "go to Europe" and "live in NYC for a while," things that are unachievable right now), excluding the two that won't be completed until next summer.
* There are 24 weeks until the end of the year (what?! When did that happen?), so if I can manage to accomplish a few goals every two weeks, because some of them are one-shots ("try Greek food") and some will take some time ("learn some German"), I think I can wipe out all 50 goals.
* I will put deadlines on them, and will update each Saturday to announce the new goals and deadlines, and to report on my progress. Pictures, if applicable, will be provided to prove it, but I am HEREBY SWEARING to tell you the truth. I will not pretend to have accomplished something if I haven't really done it. You have my word. As Gaga is my witness, my hand on the complete Harry Potter series, I will be entirely honest about my success or failure.
* If I fail to reach my goal, be it through laziness or forgetfulness (although if there is some circumstance beyond my control, we will have to come to an agreement about whether I should be punished or if there should be an extension), you may suggest punishments in the comments, and vote on the best one. I will then make a video or take a picture or make a post of whatever the punishment is and upload it to YouTube or this blog for alllll the world to see.
* If I succeed at completing all 50 goals by December 31, 2010... well, something cool will happen. I'll need suggestions on rewards or something awesome to do.

This week's goals will be starting small, and the deadline for the first three is next Saturday:
2) Leave Post-Its with happy messages on them everywhere I go this week! (something I've been wanting to do for a long time, akin to PostSecret, only with happy messages instead of secrets) This will be especially exciting since I am going on a ~*ROAD TRIP*~ this week. :D
3) Give 10 random people a small present or a card. ALSO EXCITING BECAUSE OF THE ~*ROAD TRIP!*~
44) Tweet a random fact every day. (Ongoing, but as long as I do it for a week, this will be counted as complete.) People who don't follow me on Twitter will be able to see my Tweets in the sidebar! <<< It's over there.
31) AND SUPER BONUS GOAL OF ONGOING DOOM: Lose 80 lbs by Halloween, 2010. This will be the big one, the hardest one, the one I most want to accomplish. I think if I manage this, I should get something special. :D We'll see. As far as progress goes, I will be aiming to go to the gym thrice a week and weighing in every Friday night. As far as punishment goes - if I fail to weigh in, no big deal. IF I FAIL TO GO TO THE GYM TWICE, meaning if I only go once a week or don't go at all, I GET PUNISHED. So starting tomorrow, I have to go to the gym three times this week, or next Saturday you guys get to fill the comments with delightful punishments.

SO THAT'S IT! Goals are programmed into my phone to remind me, all the rules are laid out in this uber-long complicated post, and we're off! Leave me your thoughts, feedback, reward ideas, whatever in the comments, and hey - tell your friends/family/coworkers/people in Starbucks/favorite waitress about this! I need all the support I can get, and the more people suggesting punishments, the more fun it will be! So pass the link around, and help me get myself in gear and finally cross some things off this darn list! :D