Brand New Year - Brand New Goals

So I didn’t finish all the things I set out to accomplish in 2011. I completed the majority of my goals, which I am proud of. Thanks to my goals I now love sushi, know how to knit, am not scared to sing in front of people, am an award winning filmmaker, hate yoga, am making money selling jewelry via Etsy, and am more adventurous with cooking and baking. I completed a total of 16 of my 25 goals. I’d say that even though I didn’t finish, last year’s goals were successful. I actually still have one more goal coming up that was planned in 2011, but can't be carried out just yet... I'll tell you more about it sometime... Soon I hope! So here is my new list of goals for 2012… and they include some of my goals from last year as well. I omitted a few goals because I sort of just lost interest in them (damn ADHD). First goal on my list: Finish everything on my goal list for 2012.

1.        Finish everything on my goal list for 2012!

2.        Audition for CoMo Cabaret

3.        Go to at least one state I’ve never been to before

4.        Bowl a 200 (not on the Wii)

5.        Make my own sushi with Andy

6.        Build something awesome out of LEGOS

7.        Take a craft or cake decorating class

8.        Take a cooking class

9.        Make a new short film

10.     Bake a rainbow colored cake

11.     Cook a Mediterranean style meal

12.     Sew something. Anything.

13.     Run more

14.     Read a new book 

15.  Finish that dumb kids book (the book is dumb, it's not for dumb kids- the book isn't really dumb and I WILL finish it!)

I think I need some rules this time, so... I reserve the right to add to my list. And this time, I cannot take away from or change goals on my list. They can be changed as long as the goal is basically the same. For instance, run more could be changed to run a mile because the goal still involves running and running a mile would be helluva lot more than I am running currently, so the overall goal remains the same.

I will add one goal to my list that you guys come up with. Please comment here or on the facebook page with ideas and the best one will be added to my list!

So here I go! Wish me luck!

Goal Number 1: Take A Yoga Class At The Gym= FAIL

Yesterday afternoon I accomplished another one of my goals. It was a total failure.

Andy took me to a yoga class at the gym. I was super excited to go. I thought it would be fun because I usually like the classes at the gym. My mom, Andy and I arrived at Wilson’s Fitness about 20 minutes before the class. The classroom looks amazing for yoga. It has floor to ceiling windows that make up one whole wall and look out over a beautiful wooded area.  We got our mats and arranged them at one side of the room. I did a few stretches first with my mom.

At first yoga seemed nice. The exact turning point was when she had us do downward dog pose. You are on all fours but your legs are extended with your butt up in the air.  My wrists began to hurt a lot. The instructor (or teacher…yoga master?) said that your hands and feet should equally be supporting your weight. Well that wasn’t happening. I kept trying to redistribute my weight more evenly but exactly how to go about doing that is still something I’d like to know. Really, I’d like to know.  It got harder and harder and the combination of my very short limbs and torso with my enormous size triple D chest (yes, yes, I know. Leave me alone) did not help. I couldn’t stretch my arms out and touch the ground without my boobs getting in the way. I didn’t even care all that much that I couldn't do the poses but, I was beginning to get stressed and angry and why that was, I am not even sure.

I have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and I’ve always been told that yoga is great for those with ADHD which is sort of why I wanted to try it in the first place. It is supposed to help you learn how to train your brain to concentrate longer and harder (something that can prove nearly impossible for people with ADHD). Getting angry and frustrated did not help me concentrate. Wait no, it did. I concentrated on the clock and watched the minutes tick by very slowly. I usually have a rule for myself when I take classes at the gym, which is that I cannot look at the clock. This time I couldn’t help it.

The instructor kept saying “If you’d like to take a journey, try it this way…” and “Listen to your body”. I was listening to my body and it was saying “GAHHHH! SARA, WHAT THE EFF?!?! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? GET UP! LEAVE! GO!” So I was trying NOT to listen to my body. By this point only 15 minutes had gone by and my new goal had become making it through this stupid class.

I kept going. Sometimes doing my own variation of the poses the instructor showed us. I could feel myself getting angrier and angrier and feeling more and more stressed. I envisioned myself screaming a slew of horrible things at the teacher and punching her in her stupid face. I guess that was my journey. A lot of imaginary screaming and punching and little bit of imaginary kicking. I think at some point I even imaginary hit her over the head with an imaginary crow bar.

I am not usually by any means an angry person. I am rarely angry and when I am, “Angry Sara” doesn’t look all too different from “Happy Sara”, except in yoga apparently.

I did make it to the end of the class. But not before promising myself I would never ever put myself through that again. And then Andy said to me that he really enjoyed himself and that he would love to come back to yoga. This is the first class at the gym we have ever taken together that he enjoyed so I said “Well, I’ll come back and do it with you”. What? Really Sara?  You’re going to put yourself through that unbearable torture AGAIN!?

Yes. Yes I will. Maybe I will get good at it. Maybe I will merely learn to tolerate it. But I guess I at least have to give it more than just one try. 

If you have any advice on yoga, I'd LOVE to hear it! Comment here or on Facebook. Please! I need all the help I can get!

Above: Stretching Before Class

Below: Kvetching After Class

25 Things in 2011

This year instead of a New Years resolution, I decided to come up with a list of primarily simple goals I'd like to accomplish before the year is out. Here they are.

25 things I will accomplish this year 

1. Take a Yoga Class at the gym
2. Learn to swim
3. Bake Petit Fours
4. Learn how to use fondant/Modeling Chocolate
5. Submit a film into a film festival
6. Learn to knit
7. Do cornrows in someones hair
8. Shop at the local farmers market
9. Audition for a musical
10. Have a lemonade stand
11. Do something crazy (or just very different) with my hair
12. Paint a set of 8 dishes at Hands On Ceramics 
13. Go to Arkansas
14. Bowl a 200 (real bowling, not on the Wii)
15. Learn to sew 
16. Sew a dress for Lilly
17. Shop and eat at more local places I’ve never been to
18. Ride a horse and not be scared (and not fall off and suffer a fatal head injury… no, stop it, Sara, I said I wouldn’t be scared!)
19. Take a craft or cake decorating class
20. Take a cooking class
21. Try Sushi
22. Ride my Bike to work
23. Plan a big surprise for someone!
24. Tie Dye some stuff
25. Make pop rocks cupcakes

So far, of this list, I have accomplished 3 of my goals! The first being number 5. "Submit A Film Into A Film Festival". I made a short film for the True/False Film Festival's "Gimme Truth" competition about a fictional musical chairs team. Not only did I submit, but my film got in and I won second place in the competition! Each film is a 2-minute-or-less profile of a Missourian that is 100% true or 100% false. Then there are three judges who guess if your submission is true or false.

The next goal I accomplished is 9. "Audition For A Musical". I auditioned for a local production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee". I actually got a  callback! I am so proud of myself for just getting up there and doing it. I was SO nervous, but I just told myself that not doing it was not an option. I didn't get the part, but I am not even the least bit disappointed. I was by far the least experienced one there. The dance part of the audition was a nightmare! I was terrible!!! I was not doing the same thing as everyone else, I couldn't keep up and I even made up stuff that wasn't part of the routine as I went because I couldn't do the steps the choreographer had showed us. I just kept on going with a smile on my face. When the director called to let me know I hadn't gotten the part, she said the choreographer thought I did a wonderful job in the dance audition. I asked her if she was sure she had the right person.  

The third goal I have "accomplished" is number 11. "Do Something Crazy  (Or Very Different) With My Hair". I got bangs and highlights. Definitely different, but not so crazy. 

Tonight I accomplish number 4. "Learn How To Use Fondant/Modeling Chocolate" by learning how to make and decorate cupcakes with modeling chocolate. I will learn fondant at a later date, so I guess it will only be half accomplished. I'll post pics.

Above is the short film from the T/F film Festival's Gimme Truth competition which I made with the help of Matt Davis, Ben Poland, Logan Lemmon, Andy Neitzert, Jan Neitzert, Val Davis, Monica Senecal, Rob Bartel, Elaine Martin, and Gabe Senecal.

New Hair: