Guys, I have so many things done this month!
Completed:
4. read 100 books in a year
- All done! You can see all my books here. I'm actually at 104 and I'm still going strong! We'll see how I end up stacking up to last year's 132. As I'm reaching the end of my Popsugar challenge, I'm feeling free to read a lot more liberally. And our libraries have reopened so I have a ton of books on my shelf again. :)
23. see 30 new animated films
- October 28th was International Animation Day and fittingly, I watched film #30 that day. We saw a total of 5 animated features this month: Abominable, Over the Garden Wall (technically a mini-series, but I'm totally counting it), Ride Your Wave, Over the Moon, and Ernest and Celestine. We had some sad ones this month - I find it interesting that so many of these addressed grief. But all wonderful!
81. make a zine
- I took advantage of 24 Hour Comics Day to finally put together a zine! I made it about COVID and Survivor and how it's helped me survive staying home, hahaha. If you want a copy, let me know! I would love to send out copies if anyone is actually interested in it, haha. It's pretty niche, but still enjoyable, I think?
92. see a new Claes Oldenburg sculpture
- Okay, so the goal on this was to travel and see one of his larger than life installments, but with things going the way they are, and with all of them being pretty far away, I was thinking I should change this one up. But I don't have to change it too much - we were actually able to see some of his smaller pieces at the art museum in Spokane! We saw Profiterole, Tilting Neon Cocktail, and Baked Potato - they might have been more satisfying if they were larger, but I'm counting it. They were still delightful and I love how he re-creates the everyday.
98. Treat Yo Self
- If there was ever a time we needed to treat ourselves, this year was it. We took the opportunity to spend a socially distanced day in Spokane and got lots of treats at Trader Joe's and Asian World. Another treat was just walking through a bookstore. Heck, it's been too long. We got to visit the aforementioned art museum and saw the Pop Art exhibit - not just Oldenburg, but lots of other good stuff: Warhol, Koons, Hirst, Lichtenstein - it was super great. There was a severe wind advisory (dang weather not cooperating with our schedule!) so we had to hurry home after that, but we treated ourselves to pho in town and ordered some treats online, too (tea and more Overtone!). We did set spending limits, because let's face it: we're not fictional characters who don't have to answer for their actions, but we felt like Tom and Donna would be proud of us nonetheless.
Updates:
30. see 30 new international films (5/30)
- Just one this month: Parasite. Heck. I had to spoil it for myself and watch with a summary open so I knew when to look away because I'm super squeamish and also didn't want to get spooked, but what a good story. No wonder it got Best Picture. I felt like it deserved to be watched for this list because of that.
31. a year of (silly) holiday celebration
- Getting close to done! This month we had International Raccoon Appreciation Day, Improve Your Office Day, Garlic Lover's Day, Bathtub Day, and the aforementioned International Animation Day.
41. make a 24 hour comic each year
- See zine above! It took me hours to write and get it all put together, so I'm totally counting it. I didn't want to do an hourly for every year and I was feeling generous to myself to let it count for two things. It's too late to change things now! :)
49. read the apocrypha
- I ordered a hard copy with a little bit of commentary and I've read the first two books! It's pretty interesting!
58. see 30 new documentaries (23/30)
- Just one this month! It was short, but it profiled a production of Little Shop of Horrors at the Pasadena Playhouse. It was such a unique production - I had heard about it before - and I was glad for a closer look. The actress who plays Audrey is a trans woman, and they took a more avant garde approach with Audrey II - making the bloodthirst and need for murder all in Seymour's head. How I wish I could have seen the actual production, but this was a close second!
60. r/52weeksofcooking - year-long cooking challenge
Local Specialty: Spaceburgers (from our county fair - it's basically a griddled burger uncrustable)
Lebanese: Batata Harra
Microwave: Elote en vaso
Food Mashups: Lomo Saltado burrito
72. complete 12 30-day projects
- This month I did inktober! I've done it before, but this year I followed a prompt list, which was new. I did it from They Draw and Cook's list and did food illustration, focusing more on pen drawing. I enjoyed it a lot!
- I tried so hard to finish this month, but I just couldn't do it (but now I'll have at least one thing to write about next month, haha). This month I read a book set in a country starting with C (One Hundred Years of Solitude), a book from a past prompt - I chose a book written by a musician (A Dream About Lightning Bugs by Ben Folds), and a book published in the 20th century (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn). I loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Heck. I've started my last book so I am on track to get this goal finished in November!
So 5 goals done! That brings me up to 26. At halfway through I'm officially a quarter of the way done. As you know, though, I've got a lot of irons in the fire! We'll have a few wrapping up in December with the end of the year, and I'll keep chipping away at the rest. Hope you all had a happy Halloween!
