The Not Really Resolutions: Update 2

1. Run 5km race – I am officially signed up to run the Race for Life in Hull on Sunday 17th July. Along with 2 friends from work I have formed a little team and we will be running together. We even have our own little fundraising page (please note my hair is not that red anymore). Now that I’ve established that I can actually run for 5km without dropping to the floor and dying I have been concentrating on improving my fitness levels generally. A new pair of trainers is most definitely in order and my Dad and Step-Mum are going to give me money for my birthday towards getting a new pair.

The next step is to try running altogether which we plan on doing once the evenings get a little bit lighter. I have a feeling that’s going to be the hardest part of the training.

2. Crochet a ripple blanket – The only thing stopping this one is funds. I can’t manage to save a bean at the moment which is incredibly frustrating and it will be really annoying if I don’t managed to complete this resolution purely because I have a crap wage but it might just be the case. I'm hoping the yarn fairy will get me some nice wool for my birthday.

However there has been one major development in this resolution which is that I may well have just figured out how to ripple! I tried rippling a while ago, using the Attic 24 pattern and just wasn’t getting anywhere at all. After that I developed a complete phobia of rippling and would break out in a sweat at the mere thought of it. However I sat myself back down with the pattern and some scraps of wool and just lookee here, I do believe we have a ripple going on.

Cue celebrations. Although make them muted because I think I'm still having a problem. I'm counting and counting and I never seem to have enough stitches to complete the row properly, although the yellow looks lovely and ripply, the blue appears to be flattening off the more I do. This does concern me slightly and I get the feeling many many many many more practice sessions are going to have to be completed before I think I've got the hang of it.

I cannot tell you how irritated I am that I can't do this ripple when everyone around me just picks it up straight away.

3. Back up photos on to CD – after an initial flurry at the beginning of January when I was enthused about my not-really resolutions this has dropped off to...well...nothing. So I’m going to have to set myself some targets to get this one sorted out. Next time I do an update I would like to have this crossed off my list.

4. Paint my frog – cue manic laughter. I’ve totally done this one! I win the game, I’ve managed to cross one off. Yessssssssssssssssssssss.

5. Go to the cinema on my own – I haven’t done this one. Mainly because I haven’t seen anything that I would like to go and see at the cinema at all, let alone on my own. Plus I keep forgetting that this is even on there. I should make this a quiet Sunday task I think. When something good comes on that is.

6. Project 365 – This continues to tick merrily along and I haven’t bashed my head against a brick wall so far, although I am aware that I’m only 2 months in. It is challenging but I already get a little mini thrill looking back over what I’ve done so far and it’s been very handy as a way of keeping a diary and seeing what it is I’ve been up in 2011.

The link to my photostream is on the sidebar so feel free to take a gander.

7. Make album/scrapbook of my France 2010 holiday – see Resolution 2. Stalled due to lack of funds. I did look at the last resolutions update I did in January and apparently I was hoping to have some spare money in February/March to do this...erm....not so much. If I was being reckless I would say it certainly won’t be until May which is also frustrating. But such is life. Clearly I should have picked more not really resolutions that involved me spending no money at all.

One good thing about this resolution is that once I do have the money I’m ready to go, I’ve made a list of all the photos I want to get developed (I don’t own a printer so can’t do it myself) and I’ve even managed to write down a list of the things that I did when I was out there so I won’t have completely forgotten by the time I get around to doing it.

8. Travel to Belfast to see my family – Do I really need to say it again? Nope. Didn’t think so. I think this is the most likely of the resolutions to be incomplete by the end of 2011 unfortunately.

9. Read 12 Classics – Hey I’m not a total failure! I’ve read 3 already and we’re not even at the end of March. Well done me. I’m really pleased I made this resolution, it’s been fun discovering books I wouldn’t normally have picked up and I most definitely think I should make this a resolution every year – it’s not like I’m going to be run out of material to read.

I am keeping a track of the books I’ve read and the review posts I’ve made of them on the page that’s up at the top of the sidebar called The Not Really Resolutions 2011.

10. Cross stitch one Christmas card per month – Also still on track with this one. Two months gone and two cards completed. I’m using this resolution to take the time to make cards from some patterns that I’ve had for ages that have never been used because I only pick them up in December, at which point it’s really too late to contemplate stitching something using 12,000 slightly different shades of the same colour.

I do have a secret confession though. Alongside these I have also been beavering away at some smaller designs which were sent to me by some very kind bloggy friends. Ha look at my little stash! I’m not including these as one of the monthly cards because they only take a few hours to whip up but at least it makes it more likely that I’m not going to have to buy any Christmas cards this year.

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All in all I'm pretty pleased. I'm on track for most of them and the ones that I'm not on track for I actually can't do anything about. I just need to get my backside in gear and get those photos backed up - it most certainly would be useful to have an external hard-drive round about now!