progress

a

written 0430 / last edited 0819

• Personal - reading/learning
  1. Jazz history - finish current book. Know major developments and artists. Be able to identify which kinds of jazz I enjoy, and why. Be able to explain why I prefer a particular musician / band. Probably: focus on big band and bebop. ||| After spending time trying to familiarize myself with other subgenres of jazz, I am more certain I prefer big band and bebop.
  2. Philosophy - use philosophy overview/history books to identify which philosophers I want to read more of. Then do so. ||| Completed the first part of this. Spent a bit of time on Plato and Socrates. Failed to move forward.
  3. NixOS - switch desktop environment to OpenBox. Configure Bluetooth. Figure out issue with volume buttons.
  4. Clarinet - practice 3-4x/week, min. 30min. Focus on jazz clarinet; identify + learn some solos. Spend 10min (of each practice session) on ear training / playing by ear. Busk once, for 25min (aim for August). ||| abandoned?
  5. Food - know the difference between the olives at the Greek place. ||| Complete! I prefer black olives, particularly the ones which have been left out in the sun. Their flavor is well-rounded. Green olives are too bitter and poignant for my taste.
• Personal - life
  1. Develop a list of go-to breakfast/dinner/snacks (to streamline meal planning). // made progress
  2. Visit three new restaraunts/bakeries/food-places. One sit-down style (because that frightens me). One order-for-pickup. One coffee place.
  3. Earn driver's license, if parents are able to take me driving. If not (by August), research local driving schools. Find a class/instructor/??? for Winter break. // no progress, will think about driving lessons in the distant future. Can't afford a car yet.
  4. Learn to shave. ||| Complete! Easier than I thought.
  5. Other local shit to visit: chess club, farmer's market, river walk, music festival, library.
• School
  1. Watch, and understand, this set of lectures on spectral graph theory. // found them annoying.
  2. Find an application of spectral graph theory that I want to learn more about. ||| Complete.
  3. Learn about that application.
  4. Find advisor for thesis---aim to do this by the end of June. ||| Complete.
  5. Submit proposal. // did it!
  6. Complete all summer classes. (Freebie goal, -ish. I do not want to drop a class, but I may be tempted to). // did it!
• Work
  1. Get the/a job. ||| complete, 2.5 months employed at time of writing.
  2. Stay employed all summer. ||| 8/19 i'm calling it complete.

b

written 0715 / last edited 0819

ditch counterproductive daydreaming

Plan: write it out, turn it into a piece of fiction, have fun with it. No more imagined connections with people you know. Put the plans into action instead of just imagining what would happen if you did. (All of this starts with WRITING MORE).

0819: I've made progress. I'm doing a better job at catching and redirecting. I'm not getting caught up in ranting at imaginary versions of real people.

cook through "cooking the coconut" by su-mei yu

I've made good progress.

work on relationship with food

Plan: journal when thinking about binging or restricting. try to not fuck myself over. Do not buy a scale.

c

written 0819 / last edited

Develop a consistent sleep schedule.

I've been working on this. I want to be in bed at 23:15 and asleep by 23:40. Need to work with the oncoming 8am classes.

Work on relationship with food.

Buying ultra-processed foods 'for the fun of it' consistently triggers a binge. I'm not going to actively restrict other foods; just focus on not buying those.

Make good cookies with coconut flour.

I need to learn to bake, not just follow recipes. Need to fix the chalky bit of swallowing coconut flour cookies. Play with adding flavors, mixing flavors from other recipes, and seeing how ingredients change texture. Don't be afraid of things going poorly. It's called trial and error.

Learn more about Thai food.

Read the cookbook. Get takeout on a weekly basis. Pay attention to the food and use it to learn how to make better Thai food. Remember: _more_.

Write the damn thesis.

Exercise: yoga and arm stretches, 5x/week.

Preferably before bed. Need to do this before things get worse.

Work on / develop spiritual practice.

Consistently work with sigils. Keep reading---ex. work through Hekate's Cave.