Progress Report: Week 42

I knew that the last month had gotten away from me a bit, but I hadn't realized for how long!  Life in April got crazy busy, and then went right into May continuing to be crazy busy!  When will it end? I have not been doing good about checking in with my goals, which is disappointing because this is the exact time I should be buckling down and trying to finish goals before August.  I don't have much time left.  I don't think I will be able to finish all my goals, but I would like to complete as many as I can!  In this report, I'm going to see which goals I should consider completed, and which I want to focus on trying to accomplish.

1. Get passport & travel to Canada - No Progress

2. Take a dance class (not ballet) - COMPLETE
This is complete as I took 2 semesters of a hiphop dance class.

3.  Find a new doctor - No Progress

4.  Make a short film - TINY PROGRESS
I was all set to actually make very simple short interview-style video, but life intervened and I ended up having to push it back . . . which led to me not doing it yet!  I also have another idea that would be even simpler!  I want to try doing this sometime in June, if not earlier!

5.  Make an anthology of my Grandma's poems & writings - No Progress
I haven't gotten back to this lately!

6.  Read 5 of these intellectual/feminist books: The Second Sex, Lean In, To the Lighthouse, The Beauty Myth, Reverence to Rape, Sister Outsider, How to Be a Woman, Americanah - TINY PROGRESS
I got to page 66 (of ~250) of To the Lighthouse but then had to return the book to the library.  I think for next year, especially given that I am back in school, I'm going to have to set less ambitious reading goals.  Narrowing the list might help me actually get through one or two books!

7.  Learn to do a Tarot reading - No Progress
I haven't practiced in a while.  I haven't tried to learn the minor arcana at all yet.  I've tried to do some very simple readings for myself.  Does this count as completing this goal?  I'm not sure.

8.  Read 4 of these unfinished reads --- Story of B, Ode Less Traveled, Anna Karenina, Jim Henson: The Biography, Snobs by Julian Fellows, Bird Cloud by Annie Proulx, Savage Beauty (biography of Edna St. Vincent Millay) - No progress

9.  Watch these 15 movies:  Noah, Rush, The Apartment, Maleficent, Sweetie by Jane Campion, Hateship Loveship, Easy Rider, Dirty Dancing, Maidentrip, Laggies, Dear White People, Frida, Saving Mr. Banks, Carousel, Across the Universe - PROGRESS
I watched Sweetie.  I did not like it very much, which surprised me, because I like almost all of Jane Campion's work.  I guess this one was maybe just a little too disturbing for me.  I'm pretty close to completing this goal!

10.  Watch these 10 British movies/miniseries: The Riot Club, God Help the Girl, Pride, Calvary, Nowhere Boy, Birdsong, Parade's End, Archipelago, The Selfish Giant, Orlando - PROGRESS
I watched God Help the Girl and really enjoyed it!

11.  Get back into Master's Program and work towards finish.  COMPLETE
I successfully got back into my Master's program and have a pretty solid plan for completing it within the next 1.5 years.  I am very very close to having my practicum all set up for this summer.  I'm waiting on one more piece of paperwork before I can submit for final approval.

12.  Put together a collection of poetry & get one poem published - TINY PROGRESS
I've continued to write sporadic poems.  Not sure I'm going to find the time to figure out how to get one published.

13.  Finish writing a film script - No Progress

14.  Pay off another of my student loans - COMPLETED Week 29

15.  Create postcards with art or photos from family members or friends - No Progress

16.  Make scrapbook for 2015 - No Progress

17.  Keep blogging & Write a post for a professional blog - COMPETE
I've slacked off lately on my feminist blog, but I have now written a 2nd post for TYCI!  I hope to keep contributing.  I seem to only be able to do a post about every 2 months; but I like writing for TYCI because they theme their months, making it easier to focus and form a piece.

18.  Go to 3 film festivals - COMPLETED Week 35
I completed this in Week 35, but I went to my 4th film festival in May to see a short documentary film that a friend worked on.  I thought the film was very well-done and was glad to catch up with a bunch of college friends!

19.  Learn more about car maintenance - TINY PROGRESS
I changed my wiper blades, and learned (taught myself w/ manual and youtube video) how to change the back wiper blade, which I'd never had to do before.

20.  Do more music stuff - TINY PROGRESS
I have been playing the piano a bit more.  Not a whole lot, just a few of the same songs every couple days.  But it has been a relaxing thing to do, and I've even begun slowly tinkering with a new song here or there.

21.  Learn to use a sewing machine - No Progress

22.  Minor financial task I've been putting off - TINY PROGRESS
I got the form I need to fill out; but I've sort of lost in somewhere on my desk!  I am hoping to find it this weekend and complete the form.

23.  Do a freelance/volunteer video project  COMPLETED

24.  Write an essay on Snow White & the Huntsman - No progress

25.  NEW GOAL: Plan something for my birthday! TINY PROGRESS
I want to plan something for myself so that other people don't try to force me to do something, which is what has happened for the last few years and mostly it's fine but also annoying and a bit sad.  I have some ideas: I would like to plan a short long-weekend vacation maybe with some friends, or a clothing swap perhaps.

26.  Get my elbow sorted out (it hurts frequently) - No Progress

27.  Do #52FilmsByWomen  - PROGRESS
Like with everything else I have sort of fallen behind with this.  I should have watched 7 more films since my last report, but I've only watched 5.  I did watch Sweetie before it had to go back to the library!  I also watched The Holiday (which I really enjoyed, one of my favorite rom coms now for sure), If I Were You (I also liked, it was a really clever premise and execution), Wilhemina's War (a documentary film about AIDS in South Carolina, made by a filmmaker I'm going to be working with), and UnSlut (at a film festival, a short documentary about slut shaming).

It's a bit hard to find copies of some of the specific films I want to watch (for cheap).  There are several on Netflix I have earmarked; but a lot of these are from white filmmakers--- it is actually a bit harder to get access to films by women of color.

Bonus Goals

• Make postcards from my photos - No Progress
• Get something tailored - No Progress
• Buy a new laptop - I still have to transfer a bunch of my files around.

Progress on 12/24 (0/2 Bonus Goals)