reflection 1?

I guess I must have completely skipped the first reflection. Whoops. I believe I was supposed to outline my plan and steps for the project. My project was to learn and eventually apply the art of tattoos  the first week I made simple freehand designs to see how bad I was at art. The third marking period is/was to be used for learning the designs and the fourth marking period is going to be the actual application through the use of jagua ink,  which is similar to henna except for the fact that jagua ink is black.

reflection 5

This was my first tattoo actually drawn on skin. It was done with a fine tip marker as it would be easy to erase in case I made a huge mistake. I think it came out quite nice. I created an asymmetrical floral design. Drawing on skin is definitely different than drawing on paper as the arm is curved and stretches when drawn on. I first created the design on paper with pencil then transferred it. Huge thanks to Kristene Aguinaldo for allowing me to use her arm as my canvas.

Reflection 5

This week, I studied about how music affects the workout. Since I listen to music relatively often, and I have a wide range of music tastes, I decided why not research on listening to music while exercising and how it either enhances or takes away from the workout. I looked up a couple of sites that talked about the various reasons why adding music to a workout would be beneficial and I only was able to find the positives. Tests were shown that people tended to go for longer periods of time on the bike and at higher speeds, and also lifters were able to lift more because the music would often increase hormone production when they would feel "pumped" and these hormones of feeling pumped up would help to numb the pain that the exerciser would feel. This would help the lifter be able to do more reps in their sets and therefore, more muscle building productivity would be present when exercising with music. After seeing these results and various people saying how music is beneficial, I think its time I start looking for my old iPod and start downloading some nice music to get me going while working out. Have a nice week everybody and I'll see you all next weekend! :)

Reflection

This week, I started going back to the gym- not as consistently as before, but still something! I definitely feel the physical change. I feel more energetic, stronger, and more enthusiastic for my work all around. In addition, I had to seriously contemplate my exercise habits for next year. Especially when I go to college, I will have to make external effort to stay fit. There will be no teachers or courses giving me the obligation to exercise. Luckily for me, I have internal motivation to work out. For Ms. Mirabella's class, I had to do a weekly exercise regimen for college. I've contemplated my habits both now and in the future, and I came up with a very clean, illustrated, detailed schedule of my plan. During the next week, I will have more time to work out, preparing myself for spring break, where I will be very free to go to the gym!

Reflection 5

This week, I was following the blogilates meal plan which had ups and downs. Some of the meals were easy to make and were mostly good, but others like the chicken for lunch and dinner were harder to fit in. The end of third marking period is soon and teachers are giving a great amount of assignments and also last week was relay and I was an entertainment shadow. It was ridiculously busy and making meals was not a strong point. However, I'll work on it and hopefully get better at it. I also haven't had much time to work out but I'm to determined to actually put way more effort into this, I'm disappointed about my lack of work in this. Hopefully during springbreak, I'll be able to get this project together. 

Reflection ii, 5

It is regretful to say this, but I have not been working on this project, hence the late response for the weekly update. However, I have been keeping this project in my mind every single day, where I brainstorm and gather ideas around. And to my surprise, as I was walking home, I had another idea to implement for the story. As stated last week, the story will be written in parts, or episodes, and each one would teach a lesson to our main character. In addition (or as another option), our character here would "change" as each episode progresses. This story is about her, so I wanted tons of characterization implemented.

As spring break approaches, I hope I have the time to work on this more than what I expect now. I know that I have other unfinished stories like this, but this is the one that I am truly passionate about; it is very important to me. Heh, it seems that the writer's block is coming for me after it came for Josh, but I'll need to keep on planning before I write all of this down. It is an uncertain time, but I think, at least seven episodes or more would do the trick for this story. Wish me luck!

Plan:
[1] Opening
[2-8] Episodes
[3] Ending

Reflection 5

This week, I continued to practice the letters I learned previously. Since the alphabets were hard to copy down from the internet, I relearned all the alphabets to make sure my strokes were correct. Now I am confident that whatever the book has is correct and I also believe that that the letters are in order, so it makes it easier for me to memorize. I hope to finish relearning all the letters I learned before and continue learning the alphabet. This is my goal for next week.

Reflection Week 5

   Sorry this reflection is late; there were problems with my internet last night and I couldn't update the blog. Then again, I should have posted it two days prior, so I have no true excuse; my apologies.

    In any case, the downward trend of productivity continues; more projects and personal issues popped up at home, leaving me little time to work on learning JavaScript. I feel terrible about it, but a time machine is out of the question (as A. I don't have access to one, and B. I would not risk tearing a hole in the spacetime continuum if I did).

   Sadly, I did not manage to complete an entire chapter of CodeAcademy's lessons this week. However, as I did slightly more than one last week, I was able to finish off the last exercises of the second "Functions" lesson. No new information was presented, but I have learned how to use more complex functions and combine them with variables more effectively to allow a user of the program to interact more (I can add more values for them to change, such as a character's statistics [Strength, Dexterity, Charisma, Arcane, etc.] in a video game).

   As is sadly the status quo, I am not at all happy with my performance. I completed fairly little work, despite the best of intentions. On the bright side, Spring Break is fast approaching; this weekend, as well as all of next week, is a great opportunity to speed through several chapters and learn as much about JavaScript as I possibly can. Honestly, I feel terrible about my progress thus far, but I am very much looking forward to the upcoming break.

I'a! Cthulhu,

Josh

Reflection 3&4

I haven't gotten as much time to work on this project as I would have liked :(. My weekends have been absolutely packed! And they're filling up even more. That said, I researched some more techniques for using oil pastels. I think that in the past, I've used too much material. Also, it seems I can use household objects to help with my paintings! I am excited about this new endeavor and plan to do many experiments for fun. Hopefully I can find more time to work on them, though. My spring break is even becoming jam-packed but at least I won't have full days of school to work around.

Reflection 5

This week I continued learning the objective c. After stage 1 grass world, I completed the next two levels as well. These levels are ice world and sand world. These levels were lengthy and difficult and took a lot of my time in order to complete. With two levels remaining a mastery of the language is a stretch but, understanding well enough to work with it is far more obtainable. This week I plan on finishing up Code School and moving on to the actual creation of my application.

Reflection 5

It took me all weekend to dig through my basement, then through my grandparents' attic, to find an old acoustic guitar I can bring to school to work with during my twenty percent time. I had to get it a new A string because that snapped. I have no idea how I even managed to replace it myself to be honest. As for my progress, I am still familiarizing myself with chords so I am switching back and forth between the volume lessons and the song lesson itself. Wish You Were Here requires me to know the E minor 7 chord, G chord, A 7 4 (major) chord, C major chord (open), D major, and A minor. I'm somewhat preoccupied that my second song, A Love Like War by All Time Low does not have a tutorial on CSGA, but I'm determined to go ahead with it because it will be dedicated to someone, just as Wish You Were Here will be.

Reflection 4&5

 I forgot to post for last week so I am going to do the one for last week and this week in one post.

For this week I didnt get much done overall towards my final goal. I was really busy throughout the week and didnt plan well so I didn't really find the time to practice any of my skills. This also worried me because I know if you dont practice for a week you could lose some of the skill you learned so I hope I still have it by next week. However, I did watch some videos of some drills to do in order to improve my juggling of the ball. Hopefully this next week I will do some more practice and maybe these videos will improve me.

For this week I got to practice my juggling and got my rainbow down. Juggling will help me with learning other tricks in the future so I really have to work on that more. The elastico which I believe I said I would start is somewhat difficult I really cannot do it unless I am standing still and only after a bunch of trys. I also watched videos this week to help me with everything except the rainbow because I don't really need to learn the other variations now when I can be practicing other skills and tricks. Also I was wrong I thought I would have lost my skill I still have it but it did take a bit of warming up before I was able to do it like before. Hopefully this next week I improve even more.

Reflection V: The One With Innovation & Cool Brownies

This week I haven't been doing too great a job of keeping track of my calorie intake, but I have been doing a great job of eating healthy. The only time I gave into my cravings was yesterday when I had ice cream and Oreos, but it was so worth it. Hard work deserves delicious treats!!

Anyway, the blog is going great. I added several pages that I'll link below:

HIT workouts & strength training - http://twentypercent15-cat.blogspot.com/p/quick-hit-workouts.html 

How to battle cravings - http://twentypercent15-cat.blogspot.com/p/hoe-to.html

Motivation/inspiration - http://twentypercent15-cat.blogspot.com/p/motivation.html 

So feel free to follow me on my journey on the other blog! I'm not exactly sure how often I'll be posting on it; we'll see. Also, I have decided to post pictures of my progress every four weeks. Since I posted my first set with the third reflection, you'll get more with the seventh reflection. Shouldn't be much of a difference, but I want to keep track for myself. 

I shall bid you adieu. Expect my workout schedule with the next reflection. And maybe some cool recipes! (I found one I really liked for brownies made with protein powder) 

Until then, friends.

Reflection 5

Much is to be accomplished.  I have not been on the schedule I was hoping to be.  Even though I said I would go to the gym everyday of the week I didn't.  I only went once.  Fortunately, I was able to put in some hard work during fitness class.  So this week wasn't a total failure, but it could of been better.  I have done a little research on running and learned some new tips that will hopefully help me with my goals.  This week I will go to the gym everyday, I just have to commit myself.

reflection 5

This past week in twenty percent I did not do as much as I was hoping to accomplish. The week was vertly hectic with several tests and grades in my schedule as well as relay for life was finally around the corner. I spent most of my time studying and preparing at home rather than further develop my movie.

This week I did little to nothing. I watched some tutorial videos in class and at home home but that was itm I was very tired with school and extracurriculars like track, and it was getting very crazy. I didn't accomplish anything that was hoping go get done.

For next week I hope to accomplish my goals for this week. This includes mapping out the film and beginning the first few scenes. The project is getting challenging for some of the scenes are very difficult to do on the software and very time consuming. But hopefully this week I can accomplish my goals.

Reflection 5

I personally feel as if this week was my least productive yet. While I did do many aerobic exercises like roller skating and a dance class at two in the morning for Relay For Life, I feel as if I didn't really accomplish anything. Yes, I worked out during class to cover strength and core training, but I don't really feel as if anything exciting happened this week. Due to many parties and family gatherings, we were never at a lack of food with all of the leftovers brought back. Therefore, I was not able to make the coconut chicken I wanted to cook. I also, sadly, did eat more sweets than usual, which truly makes me feel horrible. The only attempt I truly made was on Friday to create a healthier version of cinnamon buns, which turned out to be a disaster considering I was in a rush to attend Relay. I did realize, however, that my eating schedule has greatly improved. I only bring healthy snacks to school now, such as trail mix and greek yogurt. I have tried to eat more gluten-free products, and I do feel a bit better overall. I have also started implementing my "drink a bottle of water every class" goal. Hopefully, next week will be better, even though I will be extremely busy due to church related events. I have high hopes for the spring break week, and hopefully I can maintain a good workout schedule during that time.

Reflection # 5

This week Phoebe and I werent able to work together. However, that doesnt mean that we havent made any progress on the project! First of all, in class on Friday i researched what we should make. I took on this task because i knew that she was going to actually be making them therefore i wanted to contribute to the project this week by determining what phoebe should make. while searching for this i took into consideration a desert she can make that se can bring to her grandmas house. While searching, i found an awesome recipe for coconut macaroons on tasteofhome.com. Unfortunately, these cookies arent paleo. You can easily make them paleo, however, Phoebe argued that she wanted to make regular cookies this week. She had described to me exactly how she make them. She told me that the key ingredient was the sugar that made them stick together. what was hard about making these was that they had to be crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Baking them to the right temperature and for the right time was difficult. otherwise, it was just a typical baking recipe that called for mixing certain ingredients together.

Reflection 5

It was tests galore this week, but I managed to make a bit of progress with the song.

For one thing, I managed to find a good background loop for the song by noodling, or playing around, with my keyboard in my room. It's simplistic, but it will definitely do to make up for empty spots of the song. I'm getting into how to alter the audio of the different instruments, where it either cuts out or it begins to ramp up.

I'm still working on trying to get a mobile copy of the program working. The main issue is the licensing of the program. I'm trying to fool around to see if I can by-pass it somehow. If I can, I will be able to work on the song in school at my own whim, with the program and song trustfully stored in my USB.

In the meantime, Alex out.

Reflection 5

This week Mickey couldn't bake with me, but I made coconut macaroons. They were simple and easy. Four egg whites, shredded coconut, organic coconut sugar, almond extract, and salt were the only ingtedients. I added chocolate chips for some variety, but truth be told they weren't even necessary. The macaroons were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, just like s good cookie should be. They are not exactly low carb considering the sugar, but the sugar helps hold it together and make it crispy but not crumbly. I made them go bring to my grandma's house on Saturday, so I didn't feel the need to made something super heslthy anyway. They are absolutely delicious; I even made a second batch since I couldn't stop eating them!

Reflection IV & V

     I have put these two reflections together because two weeks ago I didnt really do anything or make any progress because I was very busy with other projects. However, that did not stop me from doing a lot this week.
     This week for 20% time I decided to slow down with learning new stuff because it is beginning to get very difficult with remembering different codes and instead I went back to an old lesson and began writing a spin-off program for it. Meaning I started from a blank program and began coding a picture. However doing so is very hard and takes very long so it does not look very good...yet. I am trying to make a bird out of basic shapes but it is difficult to put the objects where you want them. Luckily, it is very fun because I use FILL commands to color objects and I can do stuff like make eyes using the POINT code. So yea, so far it is fun. Thats all I have to say for this week.
     Next week I plan to significantly improve on the program and hopefully finish it. I hope to start new stuff after Spring break.

Reflection 5

This week has unfortunately been my most unproductive week in terms of reaching my project goal.  I haven't even watched a video about free kicks this week except Friday during my 20% time. Coming off a stressful week filled with tests, I did Relay for Life this weekend and spent almost all of my Saturday sleeping and trying to recover from that event. I have gotten a bit lazy and I decided that I'll wait for next week to go to the park again. I really have to go this week as time is dwindling and I really hope things don't get too cluttered. Even if it's not within the next 7 days, I still have all of Spring break so I think that I'll be fine.

Reflection 5

This week I attended Relay For Life. I was at school all night to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The track went through Magnet and APA, and there was a DJ in the lobby of both schools. People were dancing all night, and when I was walking by, I would occasionally throw in a shimmy or two. My friends and I, while walking around the track, would dance down the hallway, and in my room specifically, there were people playing dance music. There were a lot of people around and that has always been something that has kept me from dancing, even though it is something that brings me joy, but I think I made progress in getting over the self-consciousness that I feel when people see me dancing.

Weekly Journal 5

         This week for my twenty percent time project, I did not spend as much time working on learning the song as I had hoped for. In class, I tried looking at the chords online, but struggled a little because the chords are for the more complicated way of learning how to play the song. As everyone knows, Relay for Life was on Friday night and ran through Saturday morning and due to the 12 hours of staying awake at school, I slept like a rock the entire morning on Saturday. Then in the evening, I had a Quinceañera to go to, therefore, I could not work much on my project all of Saturday either - the days on which I usually do. However, because my instructor, who is a close friend of mine, was also going to attend Relay for Life, I convinced him of bringing his guitar that way we could get a little practice in. I did not play much, and I did not get far, but it was fun. 

Another unfortunate thing is that I do not think that I will get much work done this week either being that I will be leaving for Mexico Thursday morning and will not have WiFi while I am gone. 

I hope to find time before I leave, and if so, my plan will be to keep working on my song and hopefully make more progress. 

2nd Semester Reflection 5

This week I made Broccoli Cheddar Pockets. While they were not my favorite, they still tasted pretty good and they definitely were a healthy alternative to burritos or calzones. The importance of this week specifically was that I learned how to work with dough (using flour, kneading it, rolling it, and applying an egg wash), with the help of my mom. Seeing as I want to be able to bake, throughout this project and in life, knowing how to handle dough will certainly be critical. I noticed that as I made each pocket, the easier it became, and the pockets I made last looked and tasted better than my initial attempts. I was content with this week's work; the pockets were not the greatest, but they had good balance and were baked perfectly. I am happy, however, that I found a healthier alternative to burritos (I do love my Chipotle, but sometimes making these pockets at home will help my health and my wallet). Next week I am going to make a dessert: Lemon Icebox Bars. I love Lemon Bars, and using low-fat cream cheese and fat-free condensed milk will make these treats healthier than the norm. I can't wait. Until then!



Lemon Icebox Bars
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/lemon-icebox-bars-recipe.html

REFLECTION V

"It Begins"

“Aim for the sky so that if you fall, you’ll land on a mountain”. This week I drew a whopping 15 panels. Last week I promised a minimum of 21 panels from by 3-panels-a-day plan but that didn't really work out - I failed. But, like I said before, I made 15 panels! That’s more than twice the amount I made (6) last week so that’s great. I’m still proud of the progress I made and now I’ll aim for 25 next week. If I raise the bar, I’ll have to try harder to accomplish my goals and the herder I try, the more progress I make. I just hope I wasn't just lucky this week and that I can keep the rate at which I’m drawing this comic consistent.

Reflection 5

This week for 20% time, I looked up tips on how to improve my braiding skills so that in the future, my braids would come out a lot cleaner and nicer. I actually learned a bunch of new things that I plan on using the next time I decide to braid my hair. For example, I learned that it's important to make sure that your hair and the hair you're braiding with are moisturized as this will make braiding much smoother and keep your hair healthy. I also learned that while making the braid tighter will help last longer, it is not always beneficial as it can also hair breakage. These, along with all the other things that I read, I think will help me get better at braiding. Next week, I may go back to practicing box braids (since I haven't done them in a while) but this time using the new information that I now know.

Reflection 4

Last week in twenty percent I finalized much of the plot of my movie. I'm taking a popular song and with it, I am making a short music video/ action sequence through the software though I want to keep the song a secret.

I have also completed the majority of the tutorial videos I have been watching, and I am proficient in the software, at least I think so. Next I will begin mapping out the film. I will be choosing how I will display the animation, what camera angles to use, how apply effects towards each instance, and even begin practice voice over.


The voice over will be the most challenging part, and I am still a bit confused on how to work them, but hopefully I will figure it out.

I also need to map out a schedule and figure out what I want to get done in the coming weeks.

Until next time...

Reflection 5

This week, like predicted, I did not have time to do any research or actual yoga. Although, I think I needed a method to de-stress this week with all the assignments that were due. I really wanted to do something for my 20% time, but with the hectic schedule this week it was impossible.
I plan to start doing yoga asanas this weekend and continuing with that throughout the entire week, as well as spring break. Yoga asanas are the actual yoga posses that you would most likely picture in your mind when thinking of yoga. There is still a lot of breathing and meditation involved, but now you're focusing more on what you're doing. I think this will be a good escape from this week's rough schedule and maybe I'll be more inclined to do yoga everyday depending on my experience with it.
For the yoga poses I planned on reading how to do them from the website, but it was suggested that I watch a video which is probably better to follow. I'm really excited to finally start the physical part of this project, especially with track season starting. Yoga will definitely aid me in stretching after practice, as well as relaxing me as the school year comes to an end.

Reflection: Progress (reflection 2 photos)

1st photo: Second complete project week 2

2nd photo: First complete project week 1

Semester 2:
Reflection 4


During this week I continued to learn the facts about Photoshop and how different things work, and how different things change how certain things work. These things such as layers and different tools like brush and paint options and how the different color wheels work. This has actually been a lot harder than I thought and Photoshop has a lot more options and tools that can do a lot of different things.
There are however a lot of different sites and tutorials that teach people how to specifically do things with black and white manga pages and a lot of community groups dedicated to teaching people how to color in manga pages.

reflection 5

This week I explored YouTube for new knitting advice and techniques. I came across a video that really helped me with joining 2 balls or yarn together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy__eVIDshE

After trying this over and over with the same colored yarn I tried to add a different color to my rectangle. While looking for patterns I came across a video that simplified a way to add beads to my project. I really want to try it and become more familiar with the technique because I feel like adding beads is a cute way to add my own style into what I'm doing. Although I'm not good at switching the yarn yet, I do feel as though this is an easier method to make my designs more me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izVWM2QA75Q

Semester 2:
Reflection 3


I have continued watching videos and looking through on line tutorials on how Photoshop works and how different tools and steps can lead to certain types of pictures and overall different results for the thing that you are doing. I will continue trying to learn how Photoshop works and work out a plan for how I am going to start and finish my first project of coloring in a manga page that I have picked.

reflection 4

Last week for 20 percent time I showed progress in my knitting techniques. It is very hard for me to find others that knit in school so I took a trip down to Joann's Fabric Store and asked some of the workers there for advice. She told me to try using a thicker fabric and to make my stitches much wider. By doing this I should be able accomplish making a scarf. I still can't figure out how to add new yarn (as in a different color) to my started projects but YouTube has been a lot of help.

Reflection 3 - Quickie

So, I tried out a quick edit recently, I used a picture of a river from online:

and I used it to fill in some of the water in the original picture. I had about half an hour to do this, finished in about ten to fifteen minutes. It was a quick job, but I'm fairly happy with it.

Most of the quality is thanks to the camera, and the fact that the lights weren't too much of a pain. It looks a bit rocky, but I also edited a few plants in the back to where you can see a walkway and garbage can/ light thing. 

I hope to do some fire edits or the like soon, so I'm going to start researching that. 

Reflection Five

I doth have done it!!!! I have gotten someone who has agreed to help me with the creation of music. I've just given him the lyrics today, and he said he would try to have it done before break (and that if he can't I would have to find someone else but I don't care because he said he'll try and that's all that matters)! So today I edited the lyrics for the final time after a many variations of the original concept (I don't want to post them on here to make sure there is no way they can possibly be taken and used before I can finish) and I gave them to him. I should finally be on track now for getting this video done and who knows, maybe I can see how far I could get it spread around. Next week I'll see where he is at with the music and go from there. That's all for this week! tata!

reflection 4

I've been so frustrated and stressed recently. And I keep using food as comfort. It's annoying. I want to teach myself to ALWAYS eat right and healthy even though this isn't the best time of my life. I've been snacking like crazy . I've been eating cookies, cakes, and worst of all I have replaced water WITH SODA. This is an all time low for me. This diet disgusts me. I am definitely going to work on what I'm eating.

reflection 3

This week I spent a lot of time doing HIIT workouts. Some problems that I have faced is time management. There's just so many things going on and I'm only one person. I feel like there's a lot of my plate and that it's affecting my project and just everything else.

reflection 4

Time management is going to be my worst enemy throughout this project. Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to finish my drawing or to make the list of things I have to accomplish along the way. Hopefully after this week is over, everything will die down since spring break is also next week. So, I will have a lot more time to focus on my drawings and get myself back on track.

Reflection 4

The exercises are proving to be somewhat helpful. The dexterity of my fingers had improved, albeit not greatly. I have moved onto learning my actual songs. My first song choice is Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. Time management is my greatest issue here. The guitar is falling behind to last on my list of priorities. I will switch back and forth between the occasional exercise and the actual lesson for the song, provided by the Center Stage Guitar Academy. My biggest challenge doing this is trying to learn the song before mastering chords.

Reflection 4

This week I continued to practice the previous alphabets I had learned. I also learned the next five alphabets. Since Hindi is a language I was not familiar with before learning it, it is taking me a little longer to get through the alphabet. I hope to learn the alphabet, at least the first time through, by the end of April, so I have the rest of the time to learn to write some words. I realized that there are so many websites that that various ways of ordering the alphabets, for some reason. So, I decided to use a specific book in which I can trace the letters and write the letter next to it, to get the strokes right.

Reflection 4

This week i didnt really get to do much due to out of school activities and the some college admission decisions being sent out. However, i did make some small tattoo designs on some sticky notes that i have. I will try to find them all and post a picture because some of them were quite nice. I managed to almost perfect my symmetrical designs. It has slowly become easier to train my mind in order to make symmetrical designs. In addition the floral designs are coming along quite nicely

Reflection

This week, I was so busy so I didn't get that much time to work out. I think the only day was Sunday. I consumed myself in studying for competitions every spare second- friends were over my house until late every night, so I couldn't really hit the gym. Of course, I got a good workout in during Fitness, but this week did not go to waste for twenty percent time. I did indeed look up more workouts, trying to find a good program and sets of exercises to do once the past week has ended. Not only that though, I also recognized the importance of working out in my life. This week was entirely stressful with no output for the stress and no way to relax. I missed working out so much because it helped me go to sleep better, feel productive, and be healthy. My dreams mirrored this stress, and this withdrawal only emphasized the importance of following my gym routine. Also, aside from this, during fitness, we took a post-fitness assessment. Due to the combination of fitness class and gym, I've achieved some goals: running a mile in 8:22, doing 83 sit ups in two minutes, and doing 25 push ups in two minutes. Although not super impressive, I'm proud of the work I've put in to reach those goals!

Reflection 4

I'm going to be enlisting help for this because it is honestly getting ridiculous. I have absolutely zero ideas for this and I'm getting desperate. I asked my friend Leah, who also edited my lyrics, to help me with this musical process because she has been in various school music programs for as long as I can remember and she has a very similar taste in music as I do. However, we can't seem to come up with a melody that is appropriate for this song (it keeps sounding broadway-esque rather than regular music-esque). And since this is getting ridiculous considering this is like week 3 I can't come up with a tune, I'm going to find someone who hopefully can. I know a couple of experienced guitar players (because that's the main instrument I want in this song) so I'm going to approach them about this. It's going to be super awkward because I either haven't spoken to them in 4 years or I'm not really good enough friends with them but you know what, I'm desperate, and I need to get this done, so I shall brave these awkward encounters to complete my song. So that's my goal for the upcoming week; to find someone who can help me create some music!!!!!!!! If I don't make it back from these awkward encounters, let it be known that at least I tried! Farewell!

Reflection 4

This week I had a ridiculous amount of homework, tests and projects due which slowed down my 20% time. This week is going to be just as busy probably which you can maybe already tell, since I'm writing this so late. However, this week I have a meal plan I'm going to follow! While I really did not have much actual gym time this week, I spent class on www.blogilates.com which is the blog of my favorite youtube trainer, Cassey Ho. She is a fitness expert who is fun to watch because she really motivates the entire time and keeps you going. During class, I was going through her blog for the first time, and I found a bunch of challenges to follow. I specifically found https://docs.google.com/a/ucvts.tec.nj.us/spreadsheet/lv?hl=en_US&key=0AjcSou1AzAJQdE1WUVVyajduN2pUNUpHV0VtWFE0Mnc&hl=en_US&f=true&noheader=true&gid=0 this 90 day meal plan. I know meal plans are hard to follow and I love food, but I really got inspired to try this. Today I went grocery shopping and got all the food I needed and I'm starting tomorrow (if i wake up in time). Regardless, I hope I keep up with it along with her fitness regime. I am actually really excited!

Reflection IV: The One With a New Blog !!

I received a suggestion this week that I should start a new blog to track my progress, and so I did. You can find it here: http://twentypercent15-cat.blogspot.com/
So this week I have:

• worked out a bunch (mainly cardio, because I don't own my own weights)
• persuaded my younger brother to run with me (yay!)
• logged my food and fitness every day (honestly very proud of this because I'm usually forgetful)
• gained one pound (that is totally okay)
• realized that I drink a lot of tea

So much work. I am actually proud. As of this morning, all of my measurements are the same. A friend of mine told me that I should start seeing results in 8 weeks, the people closest to me in 10 weeks, and everyone else 12 weeks. So in two months I should be one happy sunflower.

I'm gonna go now and update the other blog. Have a nice week, lovelies!

Reflection 4

This week has been a bit unproductive. I had to train my focus on music outside of this project, namely my high school band. However, I have been listening to a composer by the name of Rob Dougan. His music was used in the Matrix films, namely "Clubbed to Death" and "Furious Angels". His style of music, which is a genre-blend of trip-hop and electronica, is giving me some ideas on how to compose my song.

For the song, I am first adding in the beat and the melody. Afterwards, i'll work with fine-tuning it, placing audio changers spots that require either crescendo or decrescendo, softness or bite, and cues and cut-offs.

Altering the instrument noises will be the main thing that controls how the song sounds. I'm trying to utilize MIDI, or Musical Instrument Digital Interface. What it does is that it allows multiple instruments to be played from a controller, which in this case is my keyboard. MIDI can be controlled by the user to create cues, velocity, audio pitch, etc. It's gonna become my best friend as I make this song, since it will be what helps me control what instruments are playing and how they sound.

In the meantime, Alex out.

Reflection 4

This week I was able to accomplish a lot.  During every gym class I was able to lift weights and do a cardio exercise.  I was also able to do some cardio during baseball.  I also went for a run this weekend outside. I don't often run outside, which is unfortunate because I prefer it much more than running on a treadmill. Along with excising, I somewhat improved my eating habits.  Instead of eating junk when I am at home I try to eat more fruits.  I know its just a small improvement, but hopefully it will lead to better eating habits.

Reflection #4

This week my partner and I made a BLT Fritatta. The lettuce part we substituted with spinach. You can use any mixed green but we decided for spinach because it is the most nutritious as well as delicious. We found the recipe for this meal on paleogrubs.com. The only change we made to the recipe was substituting the almond milk for whole milk. This was the only non-paleo ingredient we used. What made the bacon paleo was that it was organic and grass fed. This eliminated any of the toxins stored in the fat. While making this meal, we realized that we used too much spinach. For next time, i would use less of the ingredients to not try to overpower the tastes of them. Furthermore, we didn't butter the pan correctly therefore after we finished the eggs were stuck on the pan. While we were baking we didnt put it in a high enough temperature. The middle was still kinda raw. It is better to put the dish in the oven on a lower temperature but for longer. Due to time constraints, we rushed this process. Overall, this dish was definitely worth making and very delicious. Next time, we would attempt to make this without the recipe. It's fairly easy to make anyways.

Captain's Log: Week 4, Semester 2, Stardate 2015.3.22

   I'm beginning to see a pattern... every week, I say I'll accomplish more than the previous week; and every week, this turns out to be false. It seems that fate has dealt me a cruel hand: several exams, several large projects, more computer trouble, the nine of clubs, and the bloody two of spades. "Excuses, excuses", I know... and I feel terrible about not accomplishing as much as I should have. I only managed to have time to progress halfway through the current "chapter" of CodeAcademy's lessons, a far cry from the "Two lessons a week" I had claimed I would begin to finish.
   This week, I learned about "functions" in JavaScript. Functions are essentially variables filled with other variables and complex equations. Variables allow one to assign a name to a number or command so that one doesn't have to retype lots of code in order to copy it; functions are... well, "functionally" identical (see what I did there?) except that I can replace the simple number or command with an equation or even other variables. Instead of constantly typing the long string of code for "Divide the result of x by four", for example, I can assign that long string of code a name such as "DivideByFour". From now on, I will only have to type "DivideByFour" to use the equation, which will simplify the code and make coding much less tedious. Use of functions will make reading my code much easier (a useful trait when finding bugs) and greatly expedite the process of coding as a whole.
   As previously stated, I feel that I did not do very well this week in terms of progress; the constant string of excuses shouldn't be an... excuse (backed myself against a wall there... again) for a lack of progress. In the coming weeks, I should plan 20% time more aptly into my schedule and spend much more time on learning JavaScript. Spring Break is soon to be upon us, and I will not let the opportunity and time it presents slip by. With most of my major projects out of the way, I will be able to focus much more on my project and continue with my CodeAcademy lessons.

Reflection 4

This week  Mickey and I strayed from our mission of strictly making desserts and made ourselves a wholesome lunch for after practice. We made a BLT frittata from a recipe on PaleoGrubs.com. The whole thing had eight eggs, tomatoes, cooked greens, basil, milk, and...BACON. Who doesn't loveeee bacon? Not us! The bacon we used was from pasture-raised, hormone-free pork. When livestock is raised the way it is naturally supposed to, this eliminates much of the toxins (which are stored mostly in the fat of the animals, which we consume much of when we eat bacon), hence eliminating the main health risks in bacon. All ingredients were of course organic, and, although the recipe calls for almond milk, we used regular milk (the only non-paleo ingredient). A meal like this is very nutritious, low-carb, and high in healthy protein and fats. Plus, it can actually be eaten for any meal--I might even eat the leftover piece for breakfast tomorrow!

Reflection 4

I'm happy to announce that I found the pliers I thought I had lost forever! As soon as I found  them it's safe to say I did a lot of practicing this week. The wire I bought to practice on is a 20 gauge wire so it's very malleable and some would say "cheap" but it's been so helpful these past few days. After making dozens of small simple rings I stepped up to larger more complex designs. The picture below shows a ring of an EKG line, I thought the idea was adorable and it was super easy to do. I then moved on from rings and finally did my first pendant! The picture on the right is a Fleur de Lis Pendant. I found a video on YouTube which was about 14 minutes long and surprisingly enough it wasn't very difficult and I finished fairly quickly. The pendant can be connected to any necklace or string and I'm hoping to concentrate more on pendants and more complex rings this week. I'm finding it easier to move the wire the way I need it to so the only thing I need to improve on now is the type of wire I'm using. I plan on buying a thicker/stronger wire this week to make legit jewelry that I can hopefully start selling and giving away in a few weeks.

Reflection 4

This week I continued learning Objective C. To help me learn Objective C i found a nice website tutorial with 5 different stages that will help to teach me objective C. This week I did stage 1 which was Grass land. This website uses a character getting across a strip of land and the lessons you complete in that stage causes him to move. In the first level there were about 20 different lessons or ideas on how to make things work. For example through the help of grassland I was able to make a name appear based just from touching a screen. Next week I plan on doing the next two levels and in the following week the last two, so I can begin creating a storyline behind my application and put it's creation into play.

Reflection ii, 4

I have not worked on the story this weekend. However, I have researched numerous websites to further improve my writing skills. While researching, I discovered a great website that can help writers--professional or not--hone their skills. The topics that I was looking up in that website include how to write beautifully, characterization, secrets, plot twists, describing the world, and much more. I am reading this up because I wanted to think about these aspects of a story while writing them down.

Also, I ultimately decided on extending this story to be longer than a short story and to be a novella. Each chapter would be an "episode" of sorts relating to our main character, Amber. How the story is going to be told...is a secret. I plan on thinking of these episode ideas, as I want each one to have meaning and further develop our character. If I have at least four episodes, maybe I will continue writing (or start from the beginning again). Wish me luck!

This is the website in question:

http://thewritepractice.com/

Reflection 4

So, this week was not as bad as I thought it would be school-wise, and that being said, I was able to put a bit more time into actually exercising and trying to get back my previous physique. It's tough, considering how far behind I am from how I was half a year ago but like I have been saying in the previous posts, I'm getting there slowly but surely which is the best I can do at the moment. Also, I've been researching on various websites to see what kinds of foods is the best to gain muscle mass and strength and luckily, the top food is omega 3 eggs which I have an abundance of in my house and I eat eggs quite regularly so I was glad to see that the eggs help. I also saw salmon and spinach and other various foods that I eat very often and I'll be trying to eat them even more frequently from what I have seen on the websites. That's really all I have to say about this week and until next time, have a great week everyone! :)

Reflection 4

This week for my 20 percent project has been a normal one. A little practice and a little progress has been made. I can get 4-5 cascades in a row now if I'm really focused which is a lot better than what I was able to do before. I am pretty happy with this now becuase before I could barely get 1 or 2. So this has been a good 7 days. Also I've been trying to find a trick I'd be able to accomplish before my final presentation. I narrowed it down between doing 4 balls, yeah I know I can barely do 3. Or the other trick is after every cascade goingbg behind the back. I know that sounds really hard but I can already throws ball behind my back and catch it with the same hand ambidextrously (which means both hands). I don't really know where I got that from but I always did it in football practice so applying it to juggling won't be the hardest thing to do. Also next week relay will be over so I can practice even more.

Reflection IV

"     "

I was able to draw 6 more comic panels during this past week. I definitely made progress but it wasn't the type of progress I was anticipating. I’m still only in the beginning of the story. When I said I’d draw more the previous week, I had about 20-30 more panels in mind. I now know that I have to dedicate some time each day to drawing. I can’t just leave it to my free time because school and other obligations don’t allow much of that. I feel like if I can make myself draw something each day of this week, I can make a significant amount of progress. I’ll try to get in at least 3 panels in each day (starting today) so that by the end of the week, the minimum I’ll have is 21 new panels – which is great. I’m also pretty sure I can squeeze in more than just three per day so by the end of this week I know I’ll make significant progress on the drawing portion of my comic book. The picture above is just a random scene I chose. As you can see, I’m using stick figures because I’m most comfortable with them. I like to portray a lot of action in my drawings so they’re the perfect choice for drawing action scenes (because there will be a lot of panels and I don’t necessarily have the skill, patience, nor time to learn to draw and actually draw realistically). 

2nd Semester Reflection 4

This week I made a spinach and artichoke dip. What was great about this dish was that one serving was only 100 calories and also very low in fat. And, of course, it was absolutely delicious! I only needed my mom to help sauté the onions and garlic. The importance of this week was just continuing to build my confidence knowing that I can really make an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. I will use the sautéing and food processing skills again in the future, so I definitely will use my newly acquired knowledge to my advantage. The pattern I recognized was that as I was cooking, I became more at ease and comfortable with the dish. This week I did awesome: I made my appetizer and picked out a new dish for next week. I choose an tasty, healthy dinner dish: Broccoli- Cheddar Pockets. Next week I will make my dish, review it, and pick out a new one. Until then!










Broccoli-Cheddar Pockets

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/broccoli-cheddar-pockets-recipe2.html

Reflection 4

           I feel as if this week was very productive. I've managed to work out almost every day this week, making sure that I cover all the groups necessary. I even managed to teach my little siblings a couple of easy exercises so they can do them with me! I also talked to my fitness teacher about ways to improve what I am doing and her opinion on things such as protein powder and strength training without weights. She even agreed to make me a workout schedule that covers all the necessary groups with workouts for them! I'm actually very excited about this because I've come to love working out and the sense of accomplishment I feel after I complete my goal. It really boosts my self esteem when people recognize the effort I put in and compliment me on that. For now, I will continue to focus on finding more time to exercise, and hopefully start coming to the fitness center during co now that most of my major projects are completed.
         For the cooking part of my project I am complacent with the results. On Monday I cooked a Hawaiian chicken that was a little dry, but overall was not bad considering it was my first time making it. On tuesday I also used the remaining pineapple to make piña colada. I was really proud because it not only tasted good, but I know it consisted of healthy ingredients such as pineapple, coconut, blue agave, greek yogurt, and water.  Sunday I will try to make a coconut chicken, but I might be a bit pressed for time. I have also started to completely eliminate sweets from my life. Every time I was offered candy, I refused, which is a big accomplishment for me. The only sweets I had this week were 4 small gluten-free snicker-doodle cookies that were not as unhealthy as any other sweet.
        Another thing I did this week was go grocery shopping with my mother and sister, which gave me a good  understanding of how to search for the right product. We bought many ingredients that I had been asking for to help with my cooking such as dried bay leaves, mint leaves, ground ginger, basil, mushrooms, etc. I also learned how to look for and avoid certain ingredients in products and how to tell whether or not vegetables and potatoes have gone bad. Overall it was a very productive week. My goal for next week is to be as productive as this week, if not more.

Weekly Journal 4

     This week I have not made as much progress as I had hoped for. On Thursday during twenty percent time in class, I decided to try and find a video on YouTube of someone teaching how to play the song Good Riddance by Green Day in the way that I am learning it. The way that I am being taught how to play this song is relatively easier and after 5 or 6 videos, I finally found one where the person is teaching it how I am learning how to play it. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAdJ6em4_Kc
After watching the video about 3 or 4 times, I recognized the pattern that the girl was describing about having to do the G chord in the following way: down, down, up, up, down, up. Also, today, Saturday, my instructor finally told me that when I get to chord D, I have to do the following pattern: down, up, down, up, then go back to G and start down. He taught me this pattern as I was practicing the song and I must say, I am becoming a bit more comfortable with the first two notes - does not sound like much but for me, a person who has trouble with rhythm and hand-eye coordination, it is pretty nice. I found that when I got a little frustrated, I began to get a better hang of it so maybe I just need to get frustrated a little more haha. Unfortunately, the next two weeks are going to be tough to get a practice in because I have an event to attend to on Saturday and the following week I leave for Mexico on Thursday, therefore my only definite time to work on this will be during twenty percent time in class on Friday. However, I will try my hardest to find time over the week before I leave to work on the song. Until next time!

Reflection 4 $

This week my goal has once again been hindered by this indecisive weather. The spring season commenced with snow, and in turn every soccer field nearby is in puddles and very muddy. So unlike my original plan to start practicing certain techniques I've learned the past 3 weeks, I have watched some more videos on how to curve the ball, but I'm just really itching to record some film and test them out for real. Although thankfully the snow has already melted for the most part, so if the weather is nice by this upcoming Friday I will definitely go and start the recording process. For now, I will simply wait.

Reflection 4

This week during 20% time, I watched a couple of tutorials that explained how to prepare hair for braiding and how to do Senegalese twists. When I got home, I tried prepping a brand new pack of hair but it didn't work out as smoothly as I wanted. After a few more attempts at saving the hair, I decided to revert back to the hair that I was previously using, which was already prepped. To clarify, prepping hair for braiding involves feathering (pulling the ends or teasing) the hair so that it's not as rigid and crimped as when it is first taken out of the box. The woman doing it in the video made it look fairly simple, but when I tried it, the ends came out very uneven. So in the meantime, I used the old hair and did two attempts at the Senegalese twists. The first one I did started off as a regular single braid, but then I split it into two strands and twisted it all the way down. The second twist was done by using one parting of hair that I twisted at the root of my hair and then twisted the two strands all the way down. Of the two twists that I did, I realized that the second one I did was better than the first overall, however, I felt like the attachment on the first twist was more secure. Also, when I got to the ends of the twists, I braided them so that they wouldn't unravel. Overall, I believe that the second method I used works better and I will most likely be using that in the future. 

Reflection 4

I think I managed to balance research and actually doing yoga this week very well. There is SO much to learn, and I think research will always be a big part of this project. But as I continue with this project I think more of it will be actually doing what I've been learning about.
This week I did more breathing exercises as well as eye exercises. The eye exercises sound kind of funny but I was very intrigued as to how yoga could potentially "improve" your vision. Oddly enough, it was kind of relaxing and not strenuous once I got the hang of it. And the breathing exercises do calm you down while thinking about absolutely nothing except how you're breathing.
I'm not sure how much I will be able to get done the following week because of school-related things,  but I plan to start doing actual poses very soon. :)

Reflection 3

 Sorry for the really late reflection. Last week for 20% time I was not able to do much for I was incredblibly busy with school  and other activities

  I was not even able to work on my movie even by a little bit. My goals for the next week have not changed. They are to continue developing the plot of the film. And to further expand my knowledge of the film maker and experiment with basic plot ideas and thoughts

Reflection 4

I started learning ballroom dancing this week! I watched some YouTube videos and practiced at home. To be honest, I didn't make as much progress as I had expected. My best friend practiced the dances with me, but since she had not done any research beforehand, we were all over the place and I wasn't able to actually try to execute the basic steps that I saw in the video. 

I think next week I will try to practice more ballroom dance, but I will ask one of my friends who is an APA dancer to be my partner. This way, I can properly practice the techniques, and I'll even have someone who is experienced in dance and can correct my form if I do anything wrong. 

Reflection 4

So for this week I said, "Forget about music, lets do something else" So really I just wrote out my plan for the video, which doesn't sound like much but to be able to create the video I need a plot line. It's exceptionally bendable at this moment because it really all depends on song length how much I actually include in it. It's another point off my checklist which is always an important step. So the game plan is to just, keep planning as much as I can and write the music when it comes to me. I've come to realize I can't force it, no matter how much I wish it would just come to me. I'll let the music process work naturally. Tata for now.

Reflection 4

Week

Mon

Tues

Wed

Thurs

Friday

Sat

Sun

Total Miles Run

10

XT: 0-90 min

7-8 miles

4-5 miles

7-8 miles

Rest

15-16 miles

2-3 miles

35-40 miles

This week I didn't run on Tuesday because i had shin splints. I'm not sure if you know but shin splints feel like a small fracture in your shins and the pain is crazy. So I rested for a few days and I started my routine again on Wednesday. Tomorrow I have to run 15 miles which is the farthest I have ever run in one outing. I'm afraid that the shin splints will come back and prevent me from finishing my run. 

reflection 3

I haven't finished the drawing from last week yet. With all the projects going on this week in all my other classes, I couldn't find the time to work on my drawing. Time management is definitely something I'm going to have to work on. With the 4th marking period approaching, finding time to work on my drawings will be difficult. I will have to start setting short term goals to keep myself from falling behind on my project. In addition, I also forgot to write the list of what I need to accomplish, so I will include that in next week's reflection along with my finished first drawing.

reflection 3

A week ago I attempted to make a blanket for my egg baby with the yarn that I already had. I am not sure if I just became extremely tired of looking at the same yarn or if it was just to big but it was not easy to do. After I was already irritated with the blanket, I decided to start over. I bought new yarn and started as I normally do. Mid way I tried to use a different color but hadn't practiced enough yet and dropped a few stitches. Being the perfectionist that I am, I started over again. People keep telling me to just finish and do it all the way till the end but I've come to realize that the more I start over the more practice I get and I kind of like that.

Reflection 2

Two weeks ago I learned how to cast off a stitch. Unlike casting on a stitch, this was a lot harder for me. The videos I was using on YouTube were of no help and were making me a lot more confused than I already was. Finally, I just decided to go to someone I know. I went over my aunts house last number and her mother, Nana, helped me and showed me different techniques I could use. I chose the one I liked the most and with her help I finished my headband. I also took the time out to look up different stitches such as a moss stitch. I wanted to get knew yarn and attempt to make a blanket for my egg baby project.

Reflection 3

In class on Friday, I spent my time watching jazz dance videos. I went home and practiced dancing, and again, I was not able to go to the dance studio! However, I did clear out a space in my basement to practice dancing. I think it will be easier to motivate myself to practice and keep working at it if I have a space in my house dedicated to this project. I have been making slow progress and improvement, and hopefully, the speed at which I progress will increase now that I have changed my approach.

Reflection 3

Much progress has been made the past week.  I had my first week of baseball practice.  There, we weight lifted a few times.  Not every practice we do weights, but it really helps me.  Since we don't do much running at baseball, I am focusing on cardio during my gym class.  I always run during our warm-ups and when we have the period to workout on our own.  I am still not able to go to the gym during co because of PARCC. Once we gain our freedom back during co I will make sure I go to the gym everyday.

S2 Reflection 3

WHO DECIDED THAT WRITING MUSIC SHOULD BE A THING WHY CAN'T IT JUST MAGICALLY APPEAR AND EXIST AND NOT BE DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH THIS IS MY SECOND WEEK IN A ROW TRYING AND IT'S NOT WORKING!!!!!!!
Okay but on a more serious note. Yeah, I've honestly not been able to come up with any music. My dad (who has written a variety of songs) says I need to stop trying to force it and need to just let it happen. But I'm afraid if I do that then I'll come up with it too late in the game to really do anything. So I'll keep trying for now. I'm wondering if it's due to a lack of inspiration. I'm constantly surrounded by the same places, the same things and the same people. I'm wondering if that's why I feel no inspiration, because I'm overall bored where I am at. Maybe I do need to stop trying to force the music. I need a trip, even if it's a day trip, to a new environment. Just something different. Maybe then I could write some music. Here's shooting for next week.

Reflection 3

I am beyond proud of myself with this weeks progress. I feel myself getting stronger every day. This week I worked out four days straight, Monday through Thursday. I also ate pretty clean this week, and enjoyed eating lots of food on the weekend. I also feel myself growing mentally, today in accounting class, I shared a little story of my mother. I also told my snapchat, and I just really felt the love. I see and feel that God gave me a purpose in life, so I will continue to workout and take care of my body. Thumps up this week.

Reflection 3

 I have had very little progress with the exercises. I've tried mastering them one by one, but an hour a night is not doing much for my progress, especially when my mind is on homework and other issues. I've realized there comes a level of dedication and time you must put into learning how to play an instrument. It would make sense why I never have. I am not sure if it is because I am currently at a low point, a debilitating mental state if you will, and haven't been looking out for my health that whenever I get around to playing the guitar, I am just having issues with fatigue. I will continue the exercises; however, if progress continues to be slow, I will just leap into learning how to play the two or three songs and finish up with the lyrics of my personally written song to be ready to set it to music.

Reflection III

This week for 20% time I continued the animation program on Khan. It is beginning to be much more interesting and fun. Using new pieces of code make blocks and stuff float across the screen or set something to disappear and re-appear when the the mouse is clicked. Although it doesn't sound like much it is actually entertaining. However, I still have quite got down the quickness of setting the parameters for an object so it is how I want it. Meaning, its not like there is a grid or something so I'm basically blindly entering the parameters for a block or an ellipse. So in general I think my 20% project is going along pretty well so far. I can't wait until I am able to quickly and easily create objects, also I am able to color objects now as well. For next week I think I am just continue on my current path and once I finish the program, hopefully find something new in the awesome world of coding.

Reflection 3

Another failed week for my quest to make amazing jewelry. So as I said last reflection I lost the pair of pliers that I bought specifically for wiring manipulation and enough though I was hoping to buy them this week I failed to do so. If I was frustrated before I am now beyond annoyed and disappointed in myself. The main problem is that A.C Moore is way too far to walk to but because I have no other means of transportation other than my parents, who didn't wish to take me this week, I'm once again stuck. I'm now 2 weeks behind and low on money to buy my pliers and more wire when I actually go to A.C Moore. My vision for my final project is so close because I know I can get there however I underestimated the amount of materials I needed and how each one is super important for this process.

Reflection 3

        This week has been very busy, to say the least. Giving that poor excuse, I did not do much for my 20% time project. I only cooked once this week, and I did not work out every day. However, I am getting into the mentality of a healthy lifestyle. I have managed to start limiting myself when it comes to sweets. For example, even though we were celebrating my sister's birthday, I only got a small piece of cake, practically nothing compared to what I would usually take. I also kept reminding myself to drink more water. I need about half a gallon a day, and I am slowly working towards making drinking that amount a routine. I also learned different types of exercises and what parts of the body they specifically work.
        During class on friday, I found more good workouts that focus on things I usually do not work. I know that to truly be healthy I cannot focus on only legs or core, so I have started to focus a bit more on cardio and strength training. I went to the gym during co on friday and walked a mile on the treadmill, as well as working my biceps and triceps. I have also seen some improvements that make me very happy. For instance, squatting comes easier to me now. Not only have I improved my technique and do them with proper form, but my balance is improving and I am starting to add weights. Also, when I do the yoga position "downward facing dog" I can put my heels to the ground like I am supposed to. Overall this week was not a total failure, but I can do better. Hopefully this week I will have more time to work on this project.

Reflection 2

For this week's 20 percent, I started my sketchbook of oil pastels. I didn't get a chance to take a picture of anything, but it's nothing spectacular. I bascially just practiced with some new techniques and tried to get used to working with them. It was a little difficult, since they blend very oddly and they get everywhere! And if you try to use your finger to blend, it's probably dirty and will get on the paper. However, they look really bright and interesting. I wonder if nicer pastels would help with the blending problem.  Next week, I will try a realistic drawing and see how that goes.  Maybe then I will decide if I should get better pastels. I actually found some in my room, and some of the colors seem to go on and blend better than others.

Reflection III: The One With an Unbelievable Amount of Work Done For a Lazy Person :)

Alright. Much progress has been made this week. I have:

• taken my before pictures for comparison at the end of the semester
• taken my measurements
• started a log of what I'm consuming and the exercise I'm doing
• created a list of rules to follow
• started somewhat of a routine workout schedule

What I've been doing lately is everyday I run for at least 30 minutes, I do at least 30 squats, and at least 25 crunches. In fitness class, I spend each individual period working a different body part. Tuesday I did back and Thursday I did legs. I'm also going to start working out during co when I can, starting tomorrow (arm day). 

The list of rules I've compiled are just to keep me on the right path. They are as follows:

1. Always graze. Consume at least 100 calories every 90 minutes.
2. Minimize junk and processed foods (eventually I will cut them out completely).
3. Drink tea all day.
4. Exercise at least 30 minutes daily. No excuses!

The food and fitness log is in a little book my mother had bought me awhile back titled "Diet & Fitness Journal". Pictures of it are below. I find it helpful to keep track of things and not overeat.

And finally, we have my before pictures. Apparently, cameras add like 10 pounds because I look awful. Anyway, here we are.

My measurements:
height - 5 ft. 6 in.
weight - 123.0 lbs.
chest - 34 in.
waist - 26 in.
hip - 33 in.
thigh - 20 in.
calf - 13 in.
arm - 11 in.
neck - 13 in.
*all measurements taken at largest point of specified body part

My measurements I'll be keeping track of in my journal. Weight will be checked every morning, and the rest will be updated weekly.
That's all, folks. Wish me luck. Actually, wish for me to not be sore. Thanks, friends.

Reflection III

This week I didn't really do much because I ran out of lead for my lead pencil. It sounds like a bad excuse, but it’s true. Luckily, I found some more lead now so my problem has been solved. I added a little more to the story line and drew in a few more panels. I have 9 panels in total. I’m definitely going to have to really start drawing more for next week because I realized I’m pretty behind in that. So, this week I will focus on drawing rather than building the story (which I already have plenty of). 

Reflection ii, 3

There aren't many thing to report, but I am working on the rough draft. There are around three pages worth in Google Docs, and the main story isn't written yet! I realize that my story will be longer than expected, so the short story may become a novella, which is around 20,000-50,000 words. I tend to write stories that move slowly.

I realize that I want to improve my writing skills. I feel as if the sentences that I write are too basic and straightforward. Hopefully the people that will edit this story once it's finished will give feedback. For future weeks, I want to continue to write this rough draft, but I want to finish this so that I can have enough time to edit this. Maybe in 3 or 4 weeks, but this is not guaranteed.

And for the tidbits of the week. Our main character, Amber finally has her first line of dialogue! It took a good three pages, but she didn't have reason to in the first place!

Reflection 3

The week has not been a productive one. PARCC testing, outside extra-curricular activities, and school work have enveloped my time, preventing me from focusing on the project.

However, I've been talking to other people about my project, specifically percussionists (drum players mostly). A common thing that I can never grasp is that repetition IS ok is some cases, and a background beat is no exception. I never liked repetition in music, but it's actually quite necessary in order for the song to actually have a distinct unique sound to it, and identity to be precise. So, I've asked for some possible loops that could be good to apply to my song, and I managed to get a few. 

I've also been listening to quite a bit of music recently. Half of it is of amateur YouTube musicians and the other half being Polish tracks from my father's days as a DJ. Listening to these artists are helping me determine what would be a good theme for my song. Although the genre will be Electronica, I feel that music from other genres can shape songs to something that is more unique. One Polish band I am listening to is "Wilki", and alternative rock band that is certainly influencing how I will be making my song. 

In the meantime, Alex out.

Reflection

This week, I did not have much time to actively go to the gym, but luckily, this double A week has me having Mirabella Fitness three times a week! We did a lot of different exercises, especially using the agility ladder, which were surprisingly hard. I'm very uncoordinated. However, when I did go to the gym, I increased my initial speed to 5.2 for the interval; therefore, I'd be running for 21 minutes straight at a speed of 5.2 mph or higher. The problem with me is that I have very low endurance and doing this cardio exercise is very much helping me increase my endurance. Also, I did ab exercises and leg exercises. March is a month filled with competitions that have been stressing me out, but I cannot wait until I get back until the routine of going to the gym 5-6 times a week. It is incredibly stress relieving and entirely fulfilling. In addition, as a small, little girl going to the gym, I am consistently intimidated by the weight room with bulky, muscular people. However, I've reached a mile stone because I overcome the initial intimidations, went into the weight room, and lifted one of the barbells. Yay! In the future, I will use this room more often.

Reflection 3

Once again this week for my 20% time was not the most successful week ever. I was so busy with homework and filming/preparing for Relay I did not have a lot of time to practice. However, the fashion show is over so that is one thing that is out of the way. Once relay is over I can finally concentrate on this project 100%. But in the little I did get to practice I got a few cascades in a row so that does show some progress. I am also trying to find a trick to learn for my final presentation, Hopefully the ticks won't be to hard t learn because juggling is already enough of a challenge.

Reflection 3

This week, I continued practicing to write the vowels. Then, I learned the next five letters of the Hindi alphabet. I realized something this week that was something that I hoped I did not. I realized that the Hindi alphabet is much more difficult than the Kannada alphabet that I learned for the previous twenty percent project. The letter sounds are different and even though there are some similarities; there were some letters that are not in Hindi that are in Kannada. That is a little different and hopefully it would not be too hard. I will continue to rewrite the alphabet and learn the next five alphabets next week.