Summer Goals

I should have posted my summer goals at the beginning of the summer. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might know that, at least when I'm not immersed in the life of a law student, I'm usually working towards goals in four different arenas - knitting, beading, hiking, and running. So here is an update on how these different things are going for me.

Beading: Right on track! I completed an EBW Challenge piece that I'm really proud of. I listed two pieces that were on the back burner forever. I experimented with shapes, like I wanted to. I have two pieces that are almost ready to list and another piece that's about half finished right now. Now that I have a brand new camera, these pieces will be displayed here and on my Etsy site very soon. I also made a new piece for myself, and as a bonus, Sam found a piece I'd made for myself years ago under the radiator!

Knitting: I kind of told myself that I would finish one sweater this summer. Unfortunately, it looks like that is not going to happen. I've been working on my double v cardigan, but after I messed up and had to unknit for many rows. This was really boring and caused me to avoid the project for a while. So I'm still on the first piece - the back piece - though I'm almost done with it. I'd have to really struggle to finish by the end of the summer, and really, that's not a challenge I feel like undertaking right now. But I'll keep working on it, because it's true that I can't wait to wear it!

Oh, and also, my crocheting is on hold. That one stitch I was doing got very tedious. Hopefully I will get the patience to pick that blanket up again soon.

Hiking: This is a hobby that's never really materialized as much as I would have liked. I did some backpacking in high school, which I absolutely loved, but since then, I haven't hiked very much at all. Sam and I went a couple of times before I started law school, but especially since we live in the city, hiking is an all-day adventure for us, and I simply haven't had time to go on an organized trip. It's true that I had an internship this summer and had weekends off, but law school doesn't really end when the semester is over - there are still things law students need to be working on over the summer (like, you know, finding a job). BUT Sam and I are going hiking in Virginia for two days in about a week and a half! I'm super excited about it!

Running: This was a lost cause this summer. After years of knee pain, I found out a couple of years ago that I had tendinitis and cartilage damage. I can still run, but I have to build up my quads first. This past year and this summer, I was pretty bad about going to the gym. So for now, I have to work on my quads before I can even start running again.

My internship is over now (which is sad, because I really loved it) but I don't quite feel like I'm on vacation. I do have some things that need to get done ASAP. Still, I have two more weeks to work on my goals. But they're really only loose goals - I have enough stress in my life already and I'm not going to let my hobbies add to that stress!

Wednesday: An evening of lines. (Or queues, as we call them in Australia)

I got a new camera! And it works!! After work on Wednesday, Sam and I went to B&H. That place is both insane and awesome. Once I decided what to get, I got a printout of the camera. Then we had to wait in three different lines before we actually received the thing. But for such a crowded place, it was so efficient! I was impressed.

Then, we went to a show on the lower east side. Sam's friend's band was playing for. They were having a BBQ on the roof, so we got tickets and waited. And waited. We were in that line for an hour, and we only saw the band's last two songs! Somehow, though, we made the most of it. Waiting there for our hamburgers and hot dogs was pretty comical. And I haven't been out on a weeknight in forever! Years, probably. This isn't something I can do all the time, especially now that I'm in law school, but mixing it up like that can be really fun every once in a while.

I still have to charge the batteries in my new camera, but pictures WILL be coming to this blog! I promise!

Ice Skating

Things have been pretty hectic around here lately, and they're not going to get less hectic any time soon. There are so many things I have to do that are related to being a law student - even during the summer. So my crafting has slowed down a lot over the past couple of weeks.

Today, though, I'm putting everything on hold to go ice skating! You see, I was a little late jumping on the Groupon bandwagon. When I started paying attention to Groupon, I bought several Groupons all in a row - Groupons to things I've always wanted to do but never had the time, and Groupons to places I haven't been in a really long time. This Groupon to Chelsea Piers Ice Skating is going to expire, and this is the last weekend we can use it. It's kind of nice to have that as an excuse to do something different from my normal routine. I figure skated for a while when I was younger, and I always love to go ice skating - I just never seem to find the time. So now I am making the time!