7/14

I realized earlier this morning that the spring semester ended eight weeks ago last Friday. Today being Wednesday, I have about 7.5 weeks to go in the summer. Time for an assessment of my List of Projects for Summer 2004. (I’ll try not to get into too many unnecessary details.)

PURCHASES. I made a list of six significant purchases that I would, hopefully, get accomplished during the summer. As it stands, I have actually made one of those purchases (batting glove) and received a no-cost solution from Joe on another (USB cable for PDA). One of them (a digital camera) will probably need to be postponed indefinitely, so that leaves three still active and half the summer to go.
% COMPLETED: 33.333
% DISMISSED: 16.6666
% REMAINING: 50

DAY PROJECTS. There is also the segment of the list that has items I feel it should take no more than a day to complete, and some of them, much less than that. But the rub is that they are often inconsequential things that one requires a level of personal motivation to work on. Motivation, when I have weeks and weeks to do something, is one of my greatest personal problems. This list has NOT, however, been growing with each day’s errands or time-sensitive tasks, etc. The “DP” list is identical to what it was when I first wrote the list. Reading three of my MT friends’ theses is in this segment, and I don’t know if that’s ambitious or not. I guess it probably is.
% COMPLETED: 35.714
% DISMISSED: 14.286
% REMAINING: 50

ONGOING PROJECTS. This is the most nebulous category, by its nature. “Ongoing” signifies projects that either display no discernable complete status (i.e., they are lifestyle changes, snippets of advice, etc) or they are actually repeating tasks – things that need to/should be done daily, weekly, what have you. A couple of them (like moving) were long-term projects with multiple steps. With all this in mind, the judgment of “completion” is relatively subjective.
% COMPLETED: 15
% DISMISSED: 15
% IN-PROGRESS: 30
% NOT STARTED: 40
% of “NOT STARTED” THAT I FEEL GUILTY ABOUT: 50

So there you have it. Overall, if you look at the list and say, OK, 38 total items, and 6 of them I’ve taken off the list, that leaves 32, and I’ve completed 10 of those, I’m at 31.25% complete. But I also have 6 more in progress with completion likely before the 1st of August, that’ll be 50% definitely completed by then. And probably more! I’m gonna go home tonight and really get to work on this mofo.

Outside of that, I do have a few other things for you today.

This “I Love the 90’s” series on VH1 is absolutely ridiculous. 1999 was FIVE BLOODY YEARS AGO. We’ve really not waited near long enough for a nostalgia show about the 1990’s. I don’t understand why the hell VH1 feels the need to keep producing them.

That being said, I’ve been riveted the past two nights, even taped all four hours thus far so that my cable-less friends can share in the hilarity. I am VH1’s target demo. I am a disgusting, consuming fool. I am thinking about how I mean to drive up north on Friday and I’ll totally need to tape 98 & 99 that night. Things like this are why my Summer List is 31.25% complete.

Yes, as I said, planning to go up north and help Dad with the windows this weekend, I guess. My ulterior motive is the acquisition of furniture. My new apartment desperately requires furniture. I hope to return on Sunday with a kitchen/dining table and some chairs. I don’t know how many chairs will fit in the Festiva, since the legs of the table don’t come off. I really need a bigger vehicle for furniture transport.

I also need to try to remember to consult with Dad this weekend on the construction of the Giant Shelf Unit (or GSU) that I have now told everyone that’s visited the apartment about, and now I’ve told everyone in cyberspace, so I absolutely must complete it. A couple of problems:
– I have no design skills whatsoever other than to imagine what the GSU will look like when it’s completed, and then I start picturing myself happily putting things on the shelves, or taking things down, and then after that, I start picturing myself easily and joyfully constructing this behemoth in my apartment, despite the fact that no building project I’ve ever undertaken has transpired so smoothly.
– Related to my lack of design skills, I have relatively little contact/knowledge with non-theoretical physics. Consequently, I maybe be imagining a project (a shelving unit made of wood that will measure 10 feet across and 12 feet high) that is physically impossible given Earth’s natural limitations in regard to gravity, inertia, weight ratios, etc.
– From an economic standpoint, I have no idea what lumber costs. Fortunately I have my father as a resource in this department.
These limitations will likely prove to be a significant stumbling block, but one way or another, I will overcome. Either the GSU will be constructed, or I will surrender.

For those of that are resilient, unshakable, and consistent visitors, I commend you. Those that are not, I totally understand. You will both be receiving a new newsletter soon, with the announcement of a video.

At this point, that is all.