Click on the collage for links to the individual photos over on Flickr
It was interesting to look through my 2006 photos to pick the “Top 20” for the year. The first 12 photos are ones selected by Flickr in the order of Interestingness determined by their magic formula. The last 8 are ones that I chose for a variety of reasons – ones that I like, ones that have special memories, whatever it may be. Two of the pictures (#4 and #12) are photos of the print originals from my Photo I class last spring; I am planning on taking Photo II this spring *with a different instructor* and I am really looking forward to it. An added perk is the fact that she is a knitter and so I already know her from the LYS.
I am still trying to figure out what I am going to do as far as school this semester. As much as I would like to go to pharmacy school, I can not handle going to school on such a demanding schedule while Jason is in high school. It just won’t work. Add to the mix the fact that I really want to focus more on photography. Really, really want to focus more on it. So this semester I may just take Photo II and nothing else. I might decide to add the computer class that I need to get my Associates Degree (it is my outstanding requirement) or I will just test out of the class, since I have plenty of years of computer experience. Decisions, decisions.
As it is New Year’s Eve, it is that time again. Time for the resolutions. Although I prefer to think of them as goals, because it is just easier to handle them that way.
1. Take more photos. Branch out more. Work on my portfolio, and get into more portrait work. Expand Fresh Photography into something beyond supporting my photography habit. Seek more opportunites to grow as a photographer, whether it is meeting with other local photographers for photohunts more (I have one planned with Laurie on Tuesday, so that is a start) or finding meetings and seminars to attend.
2. Go back to my “5 at a time” weight loss goals from 2005. I didn’t do well at it back then, but many other people found success in it. I’ve already joined Weight Watchers a few weeks ago, so that is a step in the right direction. I lost weight at the beginning of the year, and somehow I have gained it all back in the past 3 months. (Most of it was gained back when I stopped drinking Pepsi and started drinking Diet Sprite and more water. Makes perfect sense, right?) I’ll post more about the “5 at a time” concept in the next day or so, but if you want to join me in this let me know – you don’t have to do WW, you can do whatever works for you. A network of supporters is a good thing for us all.
3. Reorganize the rest of the house. (The master bedroom and Jason’s room were already done this past summer.) We moved in two months before the wedding, and it was just too crazy to get everything set up right back then in 2004. For some reason, it has never really happened since then. Purge, purge, purge – we have too much stuff that we really don’t need. Whatever remains will have a place. I am going to be ruthless. Two bags of clothing were donated just yesterday, and I am sure there are more that can move on out.
4. Participate in the 2007 Stashalong and knit my current stash. I’ll be photographing it and making a list of corresponding projects (I generally only buy yarn if I have a project to go with it) later this week.
5. Podcast more often. I have many great ideas, and some more interviews coming up – but none of that matters if I don’t get the show out. A regular schedule is probably in order, if I can just figure out which day of the week works best.
6. Read more books. I want to make a list of the “classics” that I have somehow never read, and the ones I read and enjoyed. There are many other books that I also want to read, so those will make the list too.
7. Spend more time with friends. It is ironic that Mike & I are home on New Year’s Eve, as we had planned to go out. He seemed to have a bug back on Friday, and about 24 hours later it hit me. Neither one of us is feeling “up to par” so we stayed in – but I want that to change in 2007.
8. Get back into the world of the internet more – redesigning my sites and maybe finally learning CSS. There are other plans for 2007 that tie into this, but I am not ready to talk about those here. *grin*
I think that covers everything, and I know I can do it all. I’ll be printing out my goals in the next day or two and working on them weekly. I sense a year of changes ahead, and that is a good thing.
