Goals check-in: April

Here's my end-of-the-month wrap-up regarding my 2013 goals:

Soundtrack of My Week

Here's a collection of frivolity, drawn from the earworms I've suffered this week. Enjoy!

Xmas Savings Snowball

BOOYAH. (Or, if you'd prefer, Bazinga.)

Library List

When I run across a title that sounds intriguing, I go to Amazon and put it on my wishlist -- one of several, really. I keep at least one for each program I collect for, and there's the traditional gift wishlist, too. This one's just to remind me while I'm at the library (or requesting holds). When I've read the book, I remove it from the list, but that title still factors into the recommendations Amazon makes for me.

Remy's Library List

Lots of YA novels currently, and you can see other trends if you page backwards. I hope I'll have a bit more time for pleasure reading after graduation; I haven't even had time to get to the library in recent weeks, much less read much. (Probably one reason my temper's been so short; I hate being too busy to read.)

What's on your reading list? Or in the stack next to your bed? Anything you'd recommend?

Internship Week 12 (by the school calendar)

I realized where the disconnect was in my scheduling! I forgot to skip the week of spring break in my counting. So this is only Week 12. I am on what may be my last project for the CPL internship, and it's a doozy.

Nearing the finish line... too tired to care.

Well, I've completed almost all of the work necessary to earn my MLIS. I'm not celebrating yet, though. Not only do I have a couple of hoops to jump through, but also I'm not really in the mood.

500 days and 64 things left

Goodness, time is slipping by! I have many things yet to complete on my 101 Things in 1001 Days list.

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.

Today is my 29th birthday. I turned in my e-portfolio, went to sushi with a dear friend, took a few headshots (needed one for convocation), and got my nails done. Tonight will be mellow, with Chinese takeout and a movie at home, but I am told there is a litter of foster kittens waiting for me to visit soon! (No, we won't be taking one home.)

Lots of big changes in the last year (I've mentioned my Saturn return before). I'm ready to see what's next.

Tax Refunds and Snowballing, part 2

I forgot about state taxes! I mean, I didn't FORGET... I filed mine. Ours. (California Registered Domestic Partners, filing jointly at the state level. It was complicated.) And we got a refund from that, too! It just hit my account.

Internship Week Whatever This Was

Oof. I really enjoyed researching digital storytelling and watching/listening to examples of both professionals and novices at the craft. It was fascinating. But by the time I'd spent 3 weeks on the topic, I was NOT pleased to be writing a paper on it. Especially since I ended up staying awake until 3AM a couple nights in a row to do so.

On the plus side, I shared a link with my site supervisor, because I thought it could help inspire content in the summer learning program, only to be told that it fit very nicely into my next assignment, which is about tying youth services into the new makerspace opening this summer at the Harold Washington Library Center. Serendipity! Now I'm going to have to interview some of my geeky crafty friends, because I am as far from a maker as it is possible to be. :/ 3D stuff -- cloth, clay, most types of visual art -- spatial understanding, kinesthetics:  all of that seems to slip through my fingers. I can work out cause and effect, and I think I would probably be good at the type of organization and logic required for coding... but physical engineering just isn't me. I've never understood the attraction.

But I like explaining things, so I'm going to start by looking over the Instructables contest and from there come up with family-friendly activities CPL can use this summer.

Tax Refunds and Snowballing

Some financial updates (remember when I used to do those all the time?) as we count down toward tax filing deadlines:

1. Married taxes are harder than single taxes.
2. Registered Domestic Partnership (CA) taxes are harder than married taxes. (*grumble grumble equality grumble even Turbo Tax costs more grumble grumble file amended return GRUMBLE*)
3. Nonetheless, there's a benefit -- I got the largest refund of my working life this year, even after splitting it halfsies with my wife!

And it more than funded the rest of our emergency savings goal. Hooray!