October Challenge: daily blogging for 1 month

April 18, originally uploaded by hesmywatermelon.

I'm participating in the Zen Habits "October Challenge." From their site:

The purpose of these monthly challenges is to form a new habit in 30 days by doing them daily [...] The only rules:

1. Choose only 1 habit. You might want to do more than 1, but it’s pretty difficult.
2. Make it easy — you want to be able to accomplish it. Don’t make it too challenging.
3. Report daily, or as often as you can. Accountability is what makes this work.

I was going to pick weightlifting, because it's a habit I would really like to get back into. However, I've tried to start up again several times before and it's hard, so that violates rule #2. Instead, I decided to do one new blog post every day throughout October. I enjoy writing (it's good practice for NaNoWriMo!) and I haven't been very consistent lately, so I've got lots of catching up to do anyway.

Best part is, the daily reporting (rule #3) is automatic. Now it's your job to hold me accountable. My reader(s?) have permission to rake me across the coals if you don't see a new blog post daily before midnight (Central Standard Time). OK? Let's go!

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Sui Generis Retrospective: 2006 in Review

For your viewing enjoyment and my narcissistic pleasure, here are some of my favorite posts from the previous year. I seem to recall doing something like this for '05. To see my picks from '06, read on, friends.

• We started 2006 by meeting Gary Baseman at Robot Love. This post kicked off a discussion about the merits of tattoos versus clothes. I advocate for a tribal sort of situation, in a perfect world where my skin doesn't burn and the tattoo ink flows like wine.
  
• I was very excited to get my hands on a gorgeous, blue, Smith-Corona portable manual typewriter in January. I still love this thing. I need more excuses to break it out for correspondence.
• Our first Craftstravaganza application for our first Craftstravaganza arrived in February. Hard to believe that the second one is almost here. Note to blog stalkers: I no longer live at that address, but I do still have that gun.
• Next up: a mini-vacation to Milwaukee and more epicurean blogging. It bears repeating: Riverwest Cooperative's Tempeh Reuben sandwich has yet to be beat.
  
• I enjoyed compiling a list of my favorite restaurants in St. Paul. Where do you like to eat?
  
• In March, I was riding the bus from St. Paul to work at my temp job in Minneapolis, and reading lots of books at the same time.
• April was a crazy busy month. First, my niece was born. That stupid little post got more comments than almost any other one this year! A week after that, we went to see the RollerGirls, and I got a great job (which I'm still doing, and still enjoy). We capped the month by buying a house. I started at my new position on the same day as the closing. It's no wonder I only had enough energy to write four posts in May.
• The Lake Pepin 3-Speed Tour was awesome. I am trying to decide what to do with the 1972 Raleigh Superbe I rode on that bummel. It's a beautiful bike, but my single-speed gets all the love these days.
• June was all about prepping for the first annual Craftstravaganza. I made my own crafts, we hung posters everywhere, and I gushed about our vendors. We were really nervous that it was going to flop.
• But there was still time for Back to the 50's. And for a very important lesson.
• I went post-crazy in July. That was the month of the Craftstravaganza! (part two) (part three) We did lots of other stuff besides. Okay, we did three things:
• I was stoked to print some color copies of my comic strip. Bob the Golfer was a hit.
• I finally ate at the Hard Times. It was delicious.
  
• My scooter was stolen. That sucked.
  
• Midway through August, I was done with the craft fair and needed a new project. I got the crazy idea to illustrate a deck of Hanafuda playing cards. I did one every day for the rest of the month, and completed the last card in September. This was a really enjoyable challenge and I felt like a superstar when I finished. Fun fact: I have yet to print them.
  
• I won wine in October. At this point, only two bottles remain.
  
• This Microcosm Tour event was fun and weird. I didn't like the food very much. I kind of wish I had purchased a documentary DVD.
• With November comes NaNoWriMo, but last year it also brought the double deuce of death to my computer. I "won," despite all odds. In the meantime, I installed Ubuntu Linux and raced an Alleycat. Both of these were awesome, and both did not receive proper blog treatment.
• December came around and I was looking for something new to try. I bought some supplies and started brewing cider. Since I just did the racking a week ago, this seems like a great place to wrap it up.

Wow, I forgot about some of that stuff! 2006 was a really good year. I think this year's got what it takes to beat it, though. From a blogging standpoint, January was fairly disappointing. I feel like keeping this journal up-to-date is a worthwhile writing exercise. Hereby resolved: I'll try to do more, live more, and blog more in 2007. This is going to be fun.