Intro

[PBP] Intro + Index

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The Pagan Blog Project is a way to reflect and share your beliefs and insights and so on. Officially you start in January and do each letter of the alphabet twice to precisely fill up each week. Since I’m lazy and not good with schedules, I’m only doing one letter every two weeks.

The list here is my current list of topics, but they might be subject to change if in any given week the mood strikes me to write about something else.

  • A is for Altar
  • B is for Bast
  • C is for Colours
  • D is for Divination
  • E is for Eostre and other Holidays
  • F is for Fall
  • G is for Gaia
  • H is for Holy Spaces
  • I is for Intuition
  • J is for Journey
  • K is for ‘Karma’
  • L is for Labyrinths
  • M is for Meditation, Mandala’s and Music
  • N is for North
  • O is for Offerings
  • P is for Polytheist
  • Q is for Quietness
  • R is for Ritual
  • S is for Spring and Summer
  • T is for Teachings and Tales
  • U is for Unlearning
  • V is for Voice
  • W is for Winter
  • X is for…
  • Y is for ‘Yin-Yang’
  • Z is for Zodiac

 

Blog About Me [1/52] Intro

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I’ve always been blogging as a way to record my life, memories, thoughts, things done and so on. And I also always end up with months at a time where I barely blog (or not at all). I can’t quite put my finger on it why this is so, but I don’t like it. If I keep missing months, how am I then supposed to create a semi-cohesive biography. Which is, after all, what this kind of personal blog entails. So, in that light, I’ve called in the help of yet another blog prompt 😀

This one is of the blog about yourself variety. And I hope posting one of these things every week will be an impetus to blog more other stuff as well. But I also know myself well, so I’ve written many of these posts in advance, so as to not get caught unawares and end up with no post when its due to start off another hiatus.

Having said that, have a recent photo of me to start off. This is my fancy new hair: green gecko, inspired by this photo, and done at Kinki Kappers in Groningen.

My Kinki Hair

Now, over the next 51 weeks, I will publish posts about me and my life, accompanied often, I aim, by photos. There’s a category for these posts, but this first post also serves as a table of contents with links to the rest.

  1. Intro
  2. Ten random facts
  3. Where do I blog
  4. What am I afraid of
  5. Ten songs I love
  6. My five senses, right now
  7. Some things that annoy me
  8. What’s always in my pocket / bag
  9. My worst habits
  10. My best physical features
  11. Some of my favourite things
  12. Ten books I love
  13. My earliest memory
  14. What if I won the lottery
  15. Timeline of my day
  16. Personality tests
  17. My most proud moment
  18. What does my blog name mean
  19. Five favourite video games
  20. What was/is a difficult time in my life
  21. Five favourite foods
  22. Best thing to happen to me this year
  23. My dream job
  24. My favourite childhood books
  25. My pets
  26. An old photo
  27. My favourite recipe
  28. What am I looking forward to
  29. Where have I travelled, where do I want to go
  30. Three confessions
  31. Five favourite drinks
  32. Celebrity crushes
  33. Ten favourite TV shows
  34. My favourite outfit
  35. Three colours
  36. Something I miss
  37. My family
  38. My spiritual leanings
  39. Ten favourite movies
  40. The last thing to make me laugh
  41. Five favourite blogs
  42. Who do I want to meet
  43. My impossible dreams
  44. Five favourite board games
  45. Favourite things I used to do in my childhood
  46. Which book/show am I currently reading/watching
  47. Ten favourite pieces of art
  48. What do I regret
  49. Five favourite poems
  50. Where/who was I, 5 years ago
  51. Where/who am I, now
  52. Where/who am I, 5 years in the future

Things

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So… I found something else to play with on the blog. It’s called 100 Things: A Blogging Challenge. Check the link for the full explanation, but it boils down to this: blog about 100 things, one thing at a time.

Now, the challenge is relatively without rules, so I’m liberately modifying it to suit me wishes 😀

First, I have ambitions (occasionally) so instead of picking just one topic of 100 things to blog about, I’ve found several. I’m not revealing them beforehand, you’ll just have to wait and see 🙂

Second, since I’m not totally crazy I’m not blogging every topic one thing at a time. Instead I will be blogging ten things at a time. This can be in simple list form without much context or elaboration, or they might be huge ass blog posts, I reserve the freedom to do the fuck I please on my own blog 😀

I do intend to end up with at least a 100 posts in the category I made for this, so that means with ten things per post I need ten posts to finish a topic. So I’ll need at least ten topics (ten topics with each ten posts (= 100 posts total) covering ten things (makes at least 1000 things, oh my…)).

Expect the first installment sometime this week.

We’re back? We’re back!

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Webhost transfer’s fully complete, the whole thing is working as it should again. Well, mostly at least. I’m having trouble with inserting images into posts and editing posts with images in them. That’ll get fixed soon enough. In the mean time, here’s some catching up, albeit then without the photos I planned to put up along. Next post is about June, the one after is about July. I’m hoping to have the pictures fixed at some point next week, then I will either post a separate picture blog or edit the June and July posts.

It’s Alive!

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So…

I decided it’s kinda ridiculous to be blogging on LiveJournal when I have a perfectly good WordPress installed on my own domain, which I pay for every year. With every post on LJ, I neglected this site more, even though I thought I could use it as a pure photo blog beside the LJ. Using this blog has some other advantages too, since I control every aspect of it, I can customize the site much easier. And, with WordPress I can make pages for the more static content. As you can see above, some of that is functional, some not yet. The 101 list will be copied to the page of the same name and will be updated there (datestamped and all). I will post about accomplishing certain goals and stuff, but for big list overviews, go to the page.

So, with that said, I spent last night one-by-one copying my LJ posts and its comments to here (the importer didn’t work :/ ), inserting them at the right places so they look to be posted on the same dates as I actually posted them. I’ll be making a post on the LJ indicating I’ve moved back here, but I’ll most likely repost certain things back there as well. Notably, the resource posts I mentioned last month. Link collecting for these is coming along nicely, but it’ll be much easier to create these resources here. Here, I’m turning them into pages. Always at the top to be found, no looking around for it, and, with the save draft feature that WordPress has and LJ doesn’t, the creation of these pages will be easier.

The one thing I will miss from LiveJournal is the ability to have different posts have different user icons. I always thought that gives a certain colour to the page, as well as a different glimpse into the personality of the author.

Anyway, that’s all for now. Oh, and sorry to folks who have this site of mine in their feed readers and now got flooded with all the 60 or so posts I copied… Mark as read is your friend 😀

101 in 1001

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(The List can be found on the page above marked 101 in 1001. That’s also the one that’ll be updated as I complete things.)

A friend of mine started one of these a while back and it intrigued me back then but I never got around to doing anything with it. When she approached me, among others, a few days ago with a request relating to one of the items on her list, I got re-intrigued 😀
So I looked it up, at Day Zero Project, and decided to create my own list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. It took me a few days to make the list, but it’s complete now.

The Challenge:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of work on your part).

My startdate is May 15, 2010
My enddate is February 9, 2013

I wanted to make the list start today, but something already got done yesterday. Might have been slightly cheating as I didn’t think to include it after it had been done, but I still find it something that I want to include, so I shall try if I can get it done again.

I will be posting an update on this list at least every three months (as per my item #100), but probably a bit more often as I complete things. When I do, this master list will be updated to show what’s been done and when, and will link to the relevant LJ post.

Also, when I finish #36, which should be this week or next, there will be a pretty icon for the 101 posts as well.

Without further ado, here’s the list, conveniently divided into categories:

Home/Finances
1. Finish transforming the attic from mess into usable space.
2. Finish the garden (tile the part in front of the window, put up a privacy fence between me and neighbour, get a picket fence at front, create a proper flower/rock garden in front of the privacy fence and get a nice looking piece of lawn in between the tiled area and the garden)
3. Sort my finances, goal is to be in order by the end of 2010.
4. Start saving, goal is to set up automated savings by the end of 2010.
5. Build a counter-like thing in the kitchen to make better use of the space.

Health/Self Improvement
. Loose weight, I’m not setting a specific goal here, just that the line ever goes down.
7. Move more, start with cycling at least once a week, building up over the summer.
8. Cook properly at least once a week.
9. Spend a day in silence, and without the common technologies (internet, tv etc…)
10. Identify something I’m grateful for, something that made me happy, something that made me angry or sad and something I learned each week.

Arts & Crafts
11. Complete NaNoWriMo
12. Enter (and hopefully win 😀 ) a writing contest.
13. Get back to playing the bagpipe, probably after accomplishing #88 & #89.
14. Do a photoshoot of my parents.
15. Do a Picture-a-Day series in 2011, doesn’t matter what, just one photo a day of something that piques my interest, except one shot of myself a month. Afterwards, make it into a little photobook.
16. Finish scrapping 2008 and 2009 in 2010. Then scrap 2010 in 2011 and try to stay up to date with scrapping 2011 itself so when 2012 comes around, finishing it should not take more than a month or so before sending it off to the printer.
17. Get a new moleskine and actually fill it with sketches.
18. Write fiction at least once a week.
19. Learn to properly sew with a sewing machine and then learn to make clothes.
20. Make my own holiday cards for at least the closest friends and family.
21. Do a self-portrait shoot in various forms and locations.
22. Finish that scarf I started knitting 😀
23. Participate in at least five 26 Things projects from http://sh1ft.org/projects. (0/5)
24. Create that big painting I’ve been planning/thinking about for ages.
25. Buy a pretty colouring book and finish it. Try to do this as neatly as possible too (my fine motor skills could do with some training).

Reading/TV/Movies
26. Read 8 currently owned but unread books per year (5 for 2010), where owned but unread is being defined as books I’ve had for longer than 6 months. <2010 read: 2/5, 2011: 0/8, 2012: 0/8>
27. Read 4 owned but unread non-fiction books per year. (2010: 0/4, 2011: 0/4, 2012: 0/4)
28. Over the summer of 2010, get caught up with the various, currently airing, tv shows so when the new seasons start I’m up to date.
29. Watch 26 movies I’ve never seen before starting with each letter of the alphabet. (0/26)
30. Read a poem each day for a month.
31. Watch 2 owned but unwatched DVDs per month until I have actually seen every DVD I own.
32. Get my geek cred up higher and watch all six Star Wars movies. (0/6)
33. Post reviews of the books and movies I read/watch on my LJ at least once every 2 months.
34. Finish S4 of (new) Doctor Who.
35. Reread my entire Suske & Wiske comic collection.

Computer/Internet
36. Create new icons for my livejournal from my own photos and/or graphics.
37. Update LiveJournal at least twice a month outside update posts on the booklist, this 101 list in general or number 10 on this list.
38. Update Photo Blog at least once a week.
39. Sort and file my GMail inbox.
40. Find a better way to manage all my logins.
41. Get a new theme for the Photo Blog.
42. Learn how to make themes for WordPress.
43. Finish scanning in and editing the old photos I have around. Get at least the B&W ones done.
44. Keep my bookmarks sorted, sort new additions into the current folder structure at least once a month.
45. Get a new mood theme for the LiveJournal.

World of Warcraft
46. Level Yathra to 80 before Cataclysm.
47. Level all my current <80 toons (5) plus the Worgen I’m going to roll once Cataclysm comes out to 80.
48. Try getting into the Cataclysm Beta. This one isn’t really in my hands, I’ve filled out the opt-in thing, now to wait and see if I get picked.
49. Down the Lich King with Asraelion.
50. Get Cataclysm in pre-order 😀

To Go/See/Do
51. Go to the Zoo! I’ve not been since I was a kid.
52. See another opera, a play (preferably Shakespeare) and a ballet.
53. Go to Castlefest and, starting in 2011, to more of these things.
54. Visit at least 3 museums or other type of exhibitions a year, no matter how large or small.
55. Bicycle Road Trip! Go out and about with bike, mini tent and sleeping bag for a weekend or so.
56. Go abroad on a holiday.
57. Visit the UK family again.
58. Visit all of the twelve provinces.
59. Go to Madame Tussaud’s.
60. Go to Madurodam.

Fun Stuff
61. Shave my head again.
62. Try postcrossing.com.
63. Send random cards to friends and family.
64. Join a (board)game club or a D&D group.
65. Make a list of 100 things that make me happy, in no particular order.
66. Tie 5 notes to 5 balloons and let them go.
67. Put 3 notes in 3 bottles and set them adrift.
68. Toss all countries in a hat and pick 10. Read up on that country (either via a book or the internet) and discover (through watching/listening/reading) an artist, musician and author from each country.
69. Buy a few basic t-shirts and decorate them myself.
70. Get a top hat.

Learn
71. Learn a programming language to such an extent that I can produce functional code on my own.
72. Learn some balfolk dances.
73. Once #84 comes around, take a photography class.
74. Learn some more basic star-gazing related astronomy so I can identify more star signs than just Orion, Ursa Major, Andromeda and that tiny cluster whose name I forgot.
75. Learn CSS and update my HTML knowledge.

Nature
76. Watch a sunrise and a sunset from start to finish. (0/2)
77. Collect rocks of varying sizes for my garden and the small flowerpot.
78. Spend an afternoon cloud gazing. Take pictures and note what I see.
79. Sleep under the stars.
80. Get soaking wet in a big rain storm.

Sell/Buy
81. Sell the books I’ve read and don’t like enough, this will mostly be from my classics pile (prime example once I finally manage to chew through it, Jane Austen’s Emma).
82. Try to get my Star Trek dvd collection complete (TOS 1-2, TNG 1-7, DS9 4&6, VGR 1-7, remaining movies).
83. Sell the dvd’s I’ve watched and don’t like enough (Heroes for example).
84. Get a fancy DSLR camera and tripod.
85. Get a pair of proper high boots that fit properly around my larger than normal calves (probably from duoboots.nl)

Other
86. Actually use my Public transport chip card, will have to learn/do this sooner or later anyway :/
87. Finally pay a visit to that cute little gift shop thingy in my town.
88. Get my driver’s license.
89. Get a car.
90. Inspire someone else to create a 101 list.
91. Get my tattoo.
92. Research opening a book store.
93. Sort my clothes.
94. Re-join the GreenLeft political party in 2011.
95. Replace my current phone with a fancier smartphone when my current contract is up.
96. Try 5 different cocktails. (0/5)
97. Create a staff from that long branch I have.
98. Once #89 happens, decorate the car.
99. Subscribe to a magazine.
100. Review this list every three months. Mark what has been done and post about it on LiveJournal. This way I stay accountable.
101. Make a new list in the week before the time period for this one is up.

Booklist: Intro

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I’ve decided to post my lists of what I’m reading / have read here to get some content up and to maybe amuse and/or enlighten the 1.2 people and half a horse’s head that are reading this. Also, it can serve as a sort of secondary backup to the one I already have. I started recording the books I had read in December 2003, and forgot about it during September of the following year only to pick it up again in January of 2005. So that’s why this post is dated 2003/2004 and all the ones that follow will cover one year until we’ve reached 2009. I hope to maybe use this part of my online presence to not only record what I read but also comment on and/or review the books as I read them.

A few notes on format.
– I use a simple Author – Title (Series #) [marker] <any other relevant and short comments> format and will append any other information in various brackets after it.

– For Star Trek novels, of which I have read many, is different. I never recorded the author for those so instead will list them as Series – Number (if applicable) – Title cause I don’t feel like looking up the authors for dozens of books I read years ago.
– For Discworld novels, of which I am a huge fan, the numbering differentiates between Discworld and Discworld YA and also doesn’t take into account any special format books (like The Last Hero)

– All titles except those of original Dutch books will be listed in English. For the original Dutch books I will provide a translation of the title in { } after the original title.
– The whitelines in the year lists indicate a new month begins. I used to use sub headings for that but found it got too cluttered as the years pass on . In 2004 there are only 8 bookclots (as I call the little clusters). This because I have May and June as one (I couldn’t remember exactly when I’d read these at the time I wrote it down for the first time) and I stopped listing after September.

[re-read] indicates that I have read the particular book before. Doesn’t matter if it was before or after I started keeping track.
[school] indicates the book was read for study purposes, there won’t be a lot of those on here since I only list the books I finished and many study books are only read partially.
[Dutch] indicates I read the book in Dutch (either original Dutch books or Dutch translations of foreign works). There won’t be a lot of these in the lists starting with 2005*. I am Dutch but tend to read mostly English languaged books both because I prefer to read books in their original languge if I can and most of my favourite authors tend to be those that write in English as well as the simple fact that I prefer English over Dutch.
*halfway through 2004 really but…

Any other markings may appear later on but should be self-explanatory. If I add a lot more markers I might update this post but I’m all for simplicity in this case so mostl likely it will stop at these three.