November Challenge Wrap Up

NaBloPoMo: Missed a few days and contributed very few meaningful posts. I think after that first day of missing i lost the thrill of the challenge to keep a perfect record.

Art Every Day Month: I did not by any means fulfill my desire to post at least one picture/project a day. I do regret not putting more effort into this monthly project.

National Reading Novel Month: I only posted about the book once. Frankly, i think the second section of the book was rather boring. I only have a few chapters left to finish. Over all i'm not exactly sure what makes this book so amazing except for shock value of the unashamed honest portrayal of a mans obsession with little girls.

I'm not sure what i did in November but it obviously wasn't contributing a great amount of time to all the challenges i signed up for.

NaNoReMo - Lolita

This post contains spoilers for the book Lolita.

These are just my personal thoughts on the book. This weekend it's kept my attention to the point that i only have 90 pages left to finish it. I think for posts later on this month i'll have to skim sections for things to write about.

Lolita Chpt 1-8 of Section One

1- intro to the girl's name Lolita, which really isn't even her name but a nick name of the main character Humbert.

2 - Bio info on Humbert - is this a hint of foreshadowing that his father sets up his perfume business in America? Humbert uses fate a lot in the book to blame/praise any situation. The main character would probably see it as fate that his father would set up in America for him to later find his Lolita.

3-5 - Covers him meeting a girl named Annabel both are age 12 (13?). This meeting starts the whole obsession for little girls going. It seems because Humbert didn't get to conquer Annabel, he then gets it stuck in his head that that type & age of girl is the ideal girl. He coins the term Nymphet, which according to Humbert is not really a little girl but a girl that is possessed by a demon who is wiser so there for older and negates the fact that the girl is about 12. I believe this new definition is just a way for Humbert to rationalize his perverted desires for young girls.

6- Has a good experience with a young prostitute only to get bold and try to find a young one that is really just a black mail scheme.

Humbert shows escalation in his addiction:
- watches them in the park
- still battles with morality issues
- tries to justify his desire by presenting arguments that it's legal in other countries
- looks for satisfaction in an older girl to help quench his desire for a younger one but doesn't work
- only thing stopping him by end of chp 6 is the legality issue

7 - Because of what happened chp 6 Humbert chooses to get married! I think that's a ridiculous idea. Why do men with addition think it's a good idea to get married? The woman they marry is not the one they really want. It just makes them both miserable.

8- Of course, Humbert seems to think moving to America will further help solve his problem. When really moving to another city rarely, if ever, fixes problems because usually the problem is the person, not the place.

The other issue that comes up is the reveal that his wife is having an affair and is leaving him for the other guy. Humbert is furious at this and my first impression was to be angry at Humbert because he's proving him self to be a pervert and he married her as a desperate act. Didn't realize he was so attached to her. I'd think that in the long run, he'd prefer not to have wife in tow. However, i got to think about it, can a pervert not feel angry at a betrayal? Unless i missed it {correct me if i did} but Hum was faithful in actions but not necessarily thought. Regardless i thought the Hum strong reaction to the breakup was odd because to me it had been portrayed as a loveless situation.

Let me know if you have any thoughts.

Dinner

Went out to dinner with a large group of friends that get together about every other month. Some are old co-workers, others are new people at my previous job and then there are the misc. significant others. Lots of laughing which was so nice for a change {it's normal to laugh with this group, i'm just saying i haven't been doing much laughing in general}.

I'm really full and kinda tired now. My husband is out side instructing the dogs to "go to the grass" over and over and over again. They're not listening.

Today has been one lazy day which means the kitchen is still dirty. I am however way head of the reading schedule for Lolita/NaNoReMo. I've made notes on the book, of course after about chapter 10 the notes drop off as i got involved with the plot but mentally noted things.

Tomorrow i hope to post at least a slightly thoughtful post about Lolita. We'll see how it goes considering i think i'm spending the afternoon at the in-laws.

A Good Start

November is off to a good start.

I've picked up my copy of Lolita and i'll be starting it this weekend. The reading syllabus won't be available until Monday but i figure i can't go wrong reading the first few chapters.

Started on that mission statement. It's going a little slow. I let my self be distracted by looking for a new place to live - even though we won't be moving until the end of March. There is this perfect little house near my work but i don't think it'll be available when we're ready. Maybe something exactly like it will be available.

For AEDM I've uploaded a little video of a tree that lives outside our apartment building. It had AWESOME color this fall. This is straight from the camera {cannon A630} the thing is, the quality is crap and i'm not really sure what to do about it. Probably access to a video editor that could compress it correctly for the web would probably be good. If anyone has any thoughts, let me know!

Almost November

which means it's almost time for 2 3 annual challenges!

National Blog Posting Month {nablopomo.org}
Posting everyday for the whole 30 days of November.

&

National Novel Reading Month {NaNoReMo} hosted by Defective Yeti
That's right read a whole novel and discuss it for the month of November. The novel picking is running a touch late, he's still taking recommendations and votes. {almost forgot about this one}

And the novel winner is: Lolita - i'll be buying a copy since the library is completely out

&

Art Every Day Month hosted by Leah at CreativeEveryday.com
The rules on this one is very relaxed. You can do something every day, week, one big project for the month...possibilities abound {go read the page she describes it better}.

I plan on using this challenge to get some of my photos posted. Yes, i hear you, i did sign up months ago for her Creative Every Day in 2008 challenge, no, no i haven't been very good about keeping up with it but i'm ok with that. November is going to be about posting my photos, photos of my finished projects, and at the very least one line about something inspiring from the day. I AM GOING TO DO THIS! I readily admit, i struggle with the leap between good idea/goal to actually sticking with the discipline needed to finish something. Last year i posted all 30 days so i'm not so worried about that but my goal is a little more lofty in the creative department.

Let me know if you've signed up for any or all and i'll make it a point to come visit and leave a comment to cheer you on because I bet you love comments just as much as I love comments. {I don't struggle with reading other people's blogs}

Day 7

Honestly, if i was not doing NaBloPoMo and wanting to keep my commitment of posting all month. I would have skipped tonight. I'm so tired.

I will say this, I'm officially giving up on NaNoReMo. I can't stand reading any more of Catch 22 - the "who's on first" type of writing in every chapter but with a new character is getting old! Maybe I wouldn't feel this way if i had nothing else i wanted to read but as it so happens i have a large To Be Read pile right now. Most notably Kite Runner and Thunderstruck. Both need to be read by Christmas so my dad and I can go out to breakfast and discuss. Plus my dad keeps asking me if i've read Kite Runner and to be honest I started it but it didn't catch me fast enough for me to finish before it was due back at the library. I'm going to see if my M.I.L has a copy i can borrow becuase i know she's read it. Thunderstruck is turning out very interesting, who knew electricity was that fascinating?

Then there is the new Chuck Palahniuk Rant that I'm borrowing from the library and will need to be returned in a couple of weeks becuase i'm sure i won't get to renew it. Then I also started Getting Things Done, also from the library. But something about his style is not connecting with me. Also, part of my brain says "you've read enough about organizing just do something already or go read 7 Habits which you haven't finished."

So, it seems I won't be persevering through Catch 22.

P.S. I haven't given up on Art Every Day Month - i'm just moving my goal to have one finished piece a week.

Day 2 And...

Coming off of the high from the news of yesterday, today was kinda boring.

At work I had a few small projects after a week of nothing. My boss and I talked about possibly upping my salary and reworking my schedule so I work 4 days of 10 hours. This is all basically happening because I'm hitting my one year mark in a week and they want to keep me. They've hinted at more responsibilities after the new year and to hang in there for the next month or so of basically nothing to do. By the end of the conversation my boss made it very clear that he realizes it's not exactly what i wanted to be doing with my career but that they're open to doing just about anything to keep me another year. I hinted at him with no promises that I could give him another year. My husband and I have a lot of traveling planned for next year and a goal of buying a house - not the exact best time to go job hunting. He's talking with the higher ups about everything and will get back to me in a week or so.

This is all very flattering but part of my brain is saying "What?! Another year of this monotonous crap?!" Although, my other part is saying "Take it. Build up your own art. Sit with your self a little longer to really figure out if you want to stay in corporate graphic design or if you want to move in a different direction." I'll see what happens.

***Art Every Day***
Unfortunately I don't have any new art today.


***NaNoReMo***
I'm only a few pages behind to finish the 4th chapter of Catch 22. My first impression is, it's a little boring and I don't really care for the main character Yossarian yet. It's a good thing I have the general philosophy that i have to finish a book once i start it. Just this time i have to finish it with in a set time limit...

Got to go my husband has started Hot Fuzz and I must go watch. It's the best movie!

November Is Do Everything Month

Finally, I think I have everything set up for National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo)! I switched back to blogger after a short stint with a different blog provider. Oh, why I ever left Google I'll never know...

I have been blogging off and on for several years. Never have I kept a consistent blog but I've started several. Come November I'm taking the challenge to post everyday for the whole month! If you're interested in participating you can sing up nablopomo.com - or go through the link badge to the right.

Topics for this challenge won't be a problem. I might struggle more with my aversion to the computer once I'm home from work. Although, our evenings seem to be falling into a nice pattern of come home, cook dinner, husband plays Halo and I turn on the computer and puts around online. I'll do my best to keep this blog up to date.

*** Other Things To Do In November ***

Art Every Day Month - hosted by Creative Every Day.
I like her rules, the guideline is to be creative everyday for the month of November. Although, she still encourages you to be creative even if it's only once a week.

Again, I haven't been consistent with my art either. I am part of an art group that meets weekly to practice drawing and new mediums. Although, I've only been producing about one piece per month if that. I'm going to take this one a little more relaxed and work towards one collage a week with a little photography mixed in.

National Novel Reading Month - NaNoReMo - Hosted by Defective Yeti
This is another bloggers twist on NaNoWriMo but you read a novel and discusses it instead. This years book for the month is Catch22. This will be a new one for me but I've been told I should read it.

I figure that I read a lot anyway and I am currently way behind on the To Be Read challenge I started earlier this year, sooo... why not start a new challenge! If you'd like to participate, grab a copy and follow the syllabus for what chapters to read by when and comment about it on Yeti's site or blog on your own.


We'll see how productive I am this coming month!