Reflection 10

So far this project hasn't turned out like I planned it to. I finally got the chords from Dylan, and so I've been trying to work them together to produce a melody I can sing with them. it's a lot easier than starting from scratch, but I now still have to record it and then get people to help me make this video. I may have to speed this up much more than I originally would have liked to. I'm so far getting from this that maybe I piled too much on my plate, more than I realized I was. I'm going to hope I can still produce a finished product either way. Now to go get a band......

Reflection 9

Recently I have been going to the gym to do muscle workouts.  Now I am using weights for exercises such as bench press, squats, and bicep curls.  I am somewhat giving up on my goal to do 60 push-ups as I want to focus on gaining more muscle with heavier workouts.  However, I will still attempt to do push-ups when weights are not available.  I haven't done cardio in almost a week which means I need to start running more.  This weekend I plan to go on a few runs depending on my schedule.  I know I have become a better endurance runner, now just need to work on my speed.

Reflection 9

This week has been less productive than others. I had a great amount of homework that piled up, which is mostly my own fault, but it affected the entire week. I ended up getting barely any sleep on Monday night, and then for the rest of the week my sleeping schedule was off. Sleep is really important when it comes to fitness. I did go on a few runs, but none of them were an improvement from last week. However any exercise is good exercise. This week, I'm going to make sure everything is in order so I'm ready to workout. Also sorry this is late. 

Reflection 9

I seem to have forgotten to update the blog on time... again; my apologies.
On the bright side, I made some progress towards creating my game this week. I did not complete any more chapters in JavaScript, as I feel that the lessons have taught me all that is necessary to complete a simple text-based adventure game. Instead, I spent my week beginning to plan the story and world of the game. I've gone for a pseudo 19th-century city run by spies, espionage, and intrigue for the setting. The player will play as a low-ranking spy and slowly work his or her way up through the ranks, uncovering the secrets of the courts, spymasters, and even those of the city itself as they go. I want to create an interesting world above all, and allow players to best interact with their environment.
Initially, the game will be a simple one. Players can choose from several pre-determined options to respond to each scenario ("Do you decide to: [Option A], [Option B], or [Option C]?", at least for the presentation; if I can figure out how and have buckets of time on my hands from a lack of assigned projects (Excuse me... *laughs hysterically*), however, I plan on coding a full-fledged text-based adventure with a proper player inventory and the ability to use and examine items and objects at will.
I plan to continue creating the branching story this week, using another program to help visualize the web of the story. Until next week, all!

Reflection IX

This past week for 20% time I was surprisingly productive. I actually started back up on the program on Khan and I am currently in the middle of learning about variables. About the animation thing, that is going to be held off for another week. I was not as far along as I thought I was. However, I am currently integrating variables into my coding now. Basically all I do is add a line of code at the top setting a specific value for the letter x for example. (x = 50). So, then if I were make a rectangle lets say and I wanted it to start at (50, whatever) I could just enter x instead of 50. I could also then do things like enter x + 20 making it 70. Instead of actually entering 70. Then you get to actually see in comparison where something is to something else if lets say you wanted make a circle near the rectangle. Besides I am honestly not sure what the point of variables are but, hey, they make the code look more complicated. Next week I am going to continue on the current lesson which is basically just finishing up a few more basics. Maybe I will get to animation by the end of the week. As I have said before, the coding is going good and thanks to Khan Academy I do not have to pay a penny on this 20% project. So, that's all for this week.

Reflection 7

I started choreographing my dance this week! I only actually got through maybe 5 steps, and that is because
1. coreography is harder than I thought
2. I still haven't finally picked a song.

Picking the song will definitely be a challenge, but I have narrowed it down to a few. I am considering, however, using separate songs for each section of the dance and putting all of that together in a video. Choreography will surely be the hardest part about this project, but I am looking forward to trying it!

Reflection IX: The One With Taco Bell and a Triumph

Hello, friends. This week I didn't get much lifting in, but I did do more cardio than usual so I'm pretty happy. I am beyond glad that I chose this as my 20% project because it is honestly making me feel so much better about myself, even if I can't yet see a physical change. I'm slowly learning to love myself, and I had no idea these effects would be setting in so soon. I've also been doing really well with watching what I eat, so I rewarded myself today with Taco Bell (sorry,diet).
For the upcoming week, I'm going to try to get more lifting in. I'm trying to persuade my mother to buy me a set of five pound weights- we'll see how that goes. With next week's reflection, I want to post an original HIIT, considering I've kinda shmooshed a bunch together to create the one I usually use. So you'll have that next week. The week after will be time for the next set of pictures. Hopefully I'll be able to notice some sort of change in the mirror by then. I did try on last year's shorts today and MOST OF THEM FIT, so I'm excited about that (if you couldn't tell).

Moving on, here's a thing I've been wanting to post for awhile now. If you remember my third reflection, I included a list of "rules" to keep me healthy and focused. The rules were 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!

Well, I have adjusted the list a bit, and I've provided reasoning for what may seem weird. It is now:

1.  Always graze. (consume at least 300 calories every 2 hours)
1. Grazing is something I've lived by since I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia as a kid. But I would recommend it to anyone because it keeps your energy levels tamed, and glucose feeds the brain so eating often literally makes you smarter.
2. No junk. Minimize processed foods.
1. I'm really trying to cut them out entirely. I'm really trying.
3. Drink at least 64 ounces (8 glasses) of water everyday.
1. Hydration is important. Enough said.
4. Drink tea all day.
1. Tea suppresses the appetite. Remember: you shouldn't eat to feel full; you should eat to care for your body.
5. Exercise at least 30 minutes daily and stretch everyday. No excuses!
1. This needs to be here. I need to constantly remind myself of the goal I'm working towards.
6. Make sure you're consuming less calories than you're burning off.
1. This is how you lose weight. You could literally eat whatever you want and as long as you follow this rule, you are guaranteed to lose weight. My brother, Mike, is a perfect example. He is at the gym for 3+ hours six days a week. He keeps count of his calorie intake, eating whatever he wants, and then burns more calories in his workouts than he's consuming. 

Stay golden, babes.

Reflection #9

This week, I really didn't make much progress towards my goal. I bought some glittery markers and played around with them, but I didn't take much time out to seriously use them. I just have a few miscellaneous doodles (mostly furbys) laying around now. I wouldn't say this week was a total waste, but I don't have much to show for the week. I still got a little practice, but nothing substantial. Next week, I plan on making more drawings similar to the last set I posted. I really enjoyed making those and I'm pleased with how they look.

Reflection 9

This week was very busy, but i still managed to get back into the swing of things. I made sure to eat only healthy meals and to drink lots of water. The one thing I realized, however, is that I have become very lazy. I no longer feel the need to exercise as much and I have even used my exercise mat to take a nap on the floor. However, I will definitely make sure to spend this entire week trying to reach all the goals I set for myself.

Reflection 9: PROGRESS!

I have bruised fingers. It's been a good weekend in regards to progress. I've practiced the major scale and now, I'm pretty fluent in playing it forwards and backwards in any position (fret you place your index finger on to start with), especially the Major A scale. I have learned a few minor songs I've mastered: Happy Birthday, The Saints Go Marching In, a melody in the style of Green Day, and some common New Orleans blues riff. My finger dexterity has improved and so has my coordination, since I can look away from my fingers and still get the notes right. I downloaded an app on my phone: Guitar Tuna. I can memorize chords using games on the go so I don't have to limit my practice to when I have my guitar. I get impatient very easily I've noticed but, when I can finally play the songs without error, not matter how little, it makes the frustration worth it. As for the two songs I'm supposed to practice, when I feel comfortable enough to begin, I will put aside a couple hours to practice each. I've realized this may not be so difficult. I just need time and patience. For now, I'll just keep going through the Center Stage Guitar Academy lessons and playing chord memorization games on Guitar Tuna.

Reflection 9

This week I was able to come up with the storyline but I wasn't able to get/create characters. I plan on getting those images and going into the early stages of my application this week. In the schedule I set up for myself I am a little far behind, but that was all due to the plethora of tests and projects I had this week. I know in the next week I should have as much time as I need to do the work I need to make up for and what I intend on doing next in this project.

Reflection 9

The song has been progressing slowly but surely. I perhaps have wasted a bit of time messing around with the sound effects instead of actually making the song, but that is still progress nonetheless. I know what I have available to me. This week shouldn't be an issue, since I don't have anything on my plate at the moment (finally).

I had an interesting experience with music outside of the current project. When I was returning from a class trip last Thursday, I had a chance to enjoy some 70s and 80s music with a friend sitting next to me. As I listened, I heard how influential some of this music is to modern today, even with some unheard of artists that I was listening to during the ride. I was thinking about how I could implement what I was listening into my song, but decided to hold off on the idea before it went soaring. I don't want to re-write all the work I had done for the past couple months.

I am considering trying to see how I can add a bit of that old music into what I am making, since it sounded really good, but it's not definite.

In the meantime, Alex out.

Reflection ii, 9

It feels so good to be motivated after a writer's block. I stepped my game on and actually completed part i and part ii this weekend, despite of the amount of free time that I had. In addition, I completed an outline for the first three parts of the story. This story is drastically different than what I had planned many years ago, but times change, based on the time constraints and research that I have. In fact, I think the story improved on its own as the years went by when I add new pieces to the story. This project forces me to work, which I appreciate greatly, and I gladly would take advantage of.

The current goal is to write at least 2 chapters a week, so I would be done with the story by 3 weeks (possibly shorter if I work in school and in 20%).

As reference, I have three pages so far. (Yeah, that's two chapters together...pretty short). Here's an excerpt if you don't care about spoilers.

By the time she woke up again, she found herself staring at the familiar wooden ceiling. The boy and his father were by her side once again. The boy was trying to hold back his tears as he saw her eyes open, while the other man remained emotionless, regardless if she was awake or not. The silence was broken when the father cleared his throat. He announced, “This young lad and I talked things out for a bit, and we’ve decided that proper ‘introductions’ are to be in order.”

Reflection 9

"Time"

As I look back at my project thus far, I feel I've wasted a lot of time (when does this project even end?). I envisioned myself farther without the comic book than I currently am though I can’t say I didn't expect this (I’m still in the beginning of the story!). I knew I had a problem with time management when it came to drawing these things but I was pretty enthusiastic in the beginning. I felt like I could draw for days. I didn't lose enthusiasm, I’m just disappointed that I couldn't power through like I planned to do. Progress is still good for this week though - I added 15 more panels.

reflection 9

Looking back on my first 20% time project, I realize that I'm making all the same mistakes. I am determined to stop procrastinating and really work towards making this project the best that it could possibly be. This week I watched a few videos but didn't really do much. I usually leave drawing to Friday nights but it has been a really busy weekend. I found that there are a lot of different way to do the same thing and what I'm gonna try to do is try all of them to see which way works best for me.

Reflection 9

This week, I had planned to practice my box braiding, but I unfortunately fell really ill on Friday and didn't have the strength to do anything. Since Fridays were the only I set aside for working on my 20% project because fitting in during the weekend is really tough for me, I couldn't work on it much after Friday either. As a result, I don't have any progress to report for this week. I did, however, watch a past tutorial on how to to box braids to refresh my memory for next week when I hope to work on it again. Besides this minor setback, the project overall is still going well.

Reflection #9

This week was quite productive in the making sense. I was allowed to come over my partner's hose and work on making paleo blueberry scones. The first problem we encountered was finding out that we didnt actually have blueberries. To compensate for this, we used strawberries as a substitute instead. The recipe called for almond flour and we were also missing that ingredient. At first, we attempted to substitute it with regular flour but that would unfortunately ruin the paleo sense in this meal. Moreover, we finally found tapioca flour. We wanted to check what the substitute between almond four and tapioca was but we couldnt find it. Eventually we took a risk and since scones are denser than muffins we took a guess on how much we needed. we used less since coconut flour is really heavy. in the end the scones came out perfectly. Quite honestly they might be the best good we made all year. Today i learned how making substitutions is easy when all ingredients aren't around and how to proportion ingredients to get the results you want!

Reflection 9

This week I will be honest, I started to slack off more than I should have in gym. In my defense though, I was completely mentally drained from studying for an anatomy test that I had (an SGO) and I really was not in the mood to be picking things up and putting them down. Though however, I did happen to find my old iPod to add some workout music to help me in the gym. The iPod though was found in poor condition with the corner badly cracked and the iPod will only play on one earphone regardless of which earphone I use but it's a music player nonetheless and I plan on utilizing it ASAP. I will try to work harder this week because I really want to at least break 200 on the bench. That's all I have for this week, have a good week everyone!

Reflection 9

This week, I found a recipe for blueberry scones! This recipe was simple enough, so Mickey came over to make it with me. I knew I would have to use strawberries in leu of blueberries, but I thought I had everything I needed.  Unfortunately, I was missing one key ingredient: almond flour. Since the recipe called for coconut flour and almond flour, I wondered if I could just use all coconut flour. When I looked up substitutions, I didn't find anywhere that coconut flour could directly substitute almond flour (which makes sense because they are very different in consistency and weight). I learned that I substitute the almond for tapioca flour, which I luckily had. The website I found said to use equal parts coconut flour and tapioca flour, but scones are supposed to be more dense than muffins or cakes. Knowing that coconut flour is very heavy, I took an educated guess at the proportions of which I should use each ingredient for scones. I used 1/2 cup coconut flour and 1 cup tapioca flour (instead of 1/4 cup coconut flour and 1 1/4 cup almond flour, as called for). Thankfully, I made a good estimation of the proportion that would create the right consistency for scones. I learned how to mix flours to create different textures through making these scones. After all said and done, the scones came out perfectly and deliciously.

Reflection 9

This week I practiced my ronaldo chop and I have successfully got it down. This skill move is great for my position as midfielder because a lot of times you have to change the direction of the ball in an instance so that you can pass to an open player and this move makes this possible. I also practiced more on my juggling of the ball and I have been improving. The next skill/trick I will be learning is the double-heel kick/pass. This move is going to take a lot more practice because of how difficult it can be, especially in games where pressure affects your accuracy. I have not watched any tutorial videos for this move but a friend of mine who knows how to do this will be showing me some time this upcoming week. I am getting the hang of these skills pretty quickly so I am not too worried for this move.

Reflection 9

This week I traced and wrote out all the letters I had learned so far from the Hindi book I am using. I finally think that I have a handle on the letters. I am not as confused now because I noticed a pattern that was developing and followed that. This way, I now what comes after what. I also wrote out all the letters a white board to test myself to see if I have understood what I learned. I also watched a Hindi movie called Badlapur, where I picked up some Hindi words. Next week I will learn another set of letters and hopefully watch another Hindi movie if I have time. 

Weekly Journal 9

         Finally! This week for my twenty percent time project I practiced quite a bit. To start, my instructor and I began our session by picking up where we left off - practicing the first song. I am very happy to say that I am finally becoming more and more comfortable with it. I slowly felt myself picking it up faster and it felt great. I'm not saying I have it down already, but I am a little better than before and I couldn't be happier. After doing that for a bit, my instructor told me that due to time, he would simply introduce me to the next song that I am going to learn. I'm a little scared to learn it being that it looks very complicated, but I'm still excited. I will not mention the name of the song until I begin to learn it, but I am SLIGHTLY looking forward to it ( o_o ). After that, my instructor began teaching me bar chords. One word: ouch. Bar chords are those that require your entire finger to be holding down more than one string. It hurts just holding down one string, now imagine more. Not only did the pain interfere, but also my fingers alone. when trying to hold down one chord with my second finger and another chord with my third finger, the finger that was doing the bar chord kept raising up. Needless to say, that didn't go very well. However, I did have fun so I don't mind too much. This week I feel like I did very well and I'm very excited to keep learning. Next week I plan on working on the first song more and practice doing bar chords.

2nd Semester Reflection 9

This week, I must say I was shocked. I made Oatmeal-Flax Chocolate Chip Cookies, and to be honest, didn't expect much. However, I was so wrong. These cookies tasted almost identical to the original, and with basically the same consistency. I couldn't tell the difference; they were so good! What was so important about this week was that I really learned healthier alternatives can taste just as good as their unhealthier originals. In fact, I expect to make this version of Chocolate Chip Cookies constantly in the future (if you couldn't tell, they were really good). I had a little difficulty mixing the ingredients, but I put faith in the recipe and was duly rewarded. Next week I'll be making an exciting appetizer: Crisp Mozzarella Sticks, which are baked and not fried. While I won't pretend this dish is super-healthy, hopefully I can enjoy the sticks so much I won't feel the need to fry them anymore. Until then!

Mozz Sticks Recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/crisp-mozzarella-sticks-recipe.html

Reflection 8&9

THE INK FINALLY CAME IN! The ink came in and i cant wait to start tattooing on people. I have been practicing by using white eyeliner on skin and going over it with ketchup. Yes a bit weird but according to the website it has the same consistency as the ink. They tattoos have been coming along real well and im getting more and more comfortable with drawing. My hands have become more stable and im confident that i can make excellent designs in the near future.

Reflection 9

This week I just continued doing what I've been doing. I did some yoga for the back as well and it felt amazing. It really helps stretch everything and relax the body.
I think I'm going to try a different approach for doing the poses though. I've been following along videos on YouTube, which has been nice, but I feel like I can't really get the full experience with the amount of time the videos spend on each pose, and having to constantly look up to keep up. I'd much rather take my time on poses that I like more, that I feel are doing more for me, and really get to relax and close my eyes while doing so. I will continue watching the videos I've been watching because I really like the lady that does them, but I think a different method would benefit me more. I'll watch the videos beforehand, and then do poses that I remembered from the video(s) at my own pace, in a much more relaxed environment.
Overall, I really like this experience, I don't really feel stress-free, but it feels nice to take a break from other things once in a while, doing yoga.

Reflection 9

This week in class we watched a few really cool Ted talks that were pretty inspirational. It made me realize why we are doing this 20 percent time project. We have to go outside of what the educational system lays out for us and do something we really want to do. This project gives us the opportunity to do this. I choose to juggle again because I felt I had to overcome my injury and not let it beat me. So now I feel like I'm going to try harder because now I have found my inspiration to do this project again. So anyway next week will hopefully be a great week for this project.

Reflection 9

So this week, I did a little more research on music itself, just so i could become a little more knowledgeable in the field. And this is when I discovered the Four Chord Song, which is a song compiling a bunch of other songs that share the same four chords. Which means music writing isn't that hard, it's just about the specific melody itself.....yea..... still was super difficult for me. The point is not all music is totally different from each other. In fact a lot of popular pop songs all share the same chords. It's just the technicalities that make it different. It was interesting to see that, because it's not something that noticeable at first when listening to music. Moral of the story is, everyone rips off each other and no one is original anymore. hahaha! goodbye and good night!

Reflection VIII

The other week for 20% time I did as I said I would in the last reflection and began the animation coding program. It is not very easy, however, that is my fault for starting half way through the program, bad idea. So now I am going back to the beginning of the program and restarting it. Sorry for the short reflection, not much to say yet about the new program. Sorry for the short reflection.

Reflection 8

This week I didn't work on my twenty percent project like I hoped to. I couldn't head out to a lot of stores for the necklace string I'm looking for but that's once again because of the lack of rides. Sad to say I've actually been drawing more then I've been making jewelry but both activities are equally amazing. I haven't been using too much wire because I'm almost out of the wire roll I bought when I first started so I have to make my final trip to AC Moore this weekend. After I get some wire and the string I should be ready to sell some jewelry!

Reflection 8

Running is what I have been doing.  Every other day I went out and ran on my path.  I can already tell my goal will be achieved.  I will continue this running habit for a while.  I am not really focusing on my other workouts though.  I haven't been doing push-ups or pull-ups or any other type of muscle workout.  I'm going to start working out during co more so I can fit in these exercises.  I'm not sure if my goal of doing 60 push-ups will be done, but I will certainly try.

a needle in my butt at Carrier Clinic

Suffocation, no relaxation, I'm trappped, I'm stuck, like what the f*ck! Did I do something, no just gave truth a look in the mirror, the needle, that needle, five men against one. Oh god, i felt violated, Don't you ever surround Queen T like that again...Hell no, got the wrong girl, shawty civilized, family where you at? This had to be the worst experience at my hospital. They pissed my roommate off then I exploded afterwards. I continued to discuss what happened to me to everyone until the day I left

Semester 2:
Reflection 8

This week has actually been really beneficial to me because I found a really good site that has exactly what I need in order to convert a manga page into a traceable and coloring outline called "Linearts". This forum post actually gives me step by step instructions that allow me to see just how it is that I can convert what I want to an outline with pictures showing exactly what to do in Photoshop and explanations of how to do it.
It's actually a really accomplishing feeling finding exactly what you are looking for from the thousands of searches you get on google, and now I've found one of the stepping stones to finishing my first colored image.

Semester 2:
Reflection 7

During the first week back it's been pretty hectic and not much as gotten done, I have continued looking for ways in order to make a manga page an actual tracing outline for me to add color too, and have looked back at any responses that I have gotten from the deviant-art community with no avail. Though I'm not going to give up on trying to get in contact with people and I'm sure that they are probably busy with their own lives and will get back to me when they can. I really hope I can get to work or maybe even finish one of my scans in the next few weeks.

Semester 2:
Reflection 6

This week during spring break I didn't have as much time as I thought I would. There was a lot to do in terms of visiting colleges, meeting with my family for the holidays, and just spending time with people. Though I did get somethings done. I was able to contact a few different people from the deviant-art community that I have seen do really good jobs in terms of coloring manga pages, and have requested their help from them in any questions I have or in terms of tips that they can give me in order for me to progress as they did and get to the level they are.

Taylor is back tho

"NO PERSONAL CONTACT (PC) IN CARRIER CLINIC (CC) TILL YOU DISCHARGE (DC)" IN other words I've been through hell and back...I will begin with some of the pieces written during my situation... -everyone talks and no one listens -self harm is triggering to others -why are you really upset -upset about whole situation -its just not worth it -needs direction -whole thing is ridiculous -upset about everything -needs direction -upset about everything -already explained -walking contradictions -I thought people will get it I will stop here and continue during free time

Reflection 8

Safe to say, I haven't practiced at all this week. I have a research paper to complete, several tests to prepare for, and many hours of sleep to catch on (serious health concern as I am falling asleep whenever I put my head down). Pardon me, but I must really take the week off. If by some miracle I have free time, I'll be working on all the basic major chords.

Reflection

This week, during twenty percent time, I used my time researching different exercises, as usual. Completing different exercises is extremely important so your muscles don't get accustomed to the same movements and strengths all the time. That way, this gives more time for different angles of the muscles to grow and become stronger. Aside from this research, I talked with Alexis during twenty percent time about his own fitness goals outside of twenty percent. He introduced to me a blog that published all the video for the famous P90x insanity workout, which I may start now or in the summer. It is very intense but is the rigorous, intense exercise I need to really challenge myself. In addition, my sister came home to visit. From this experience, I realized the importance of a fitness partner who challenges you and forces you to be better. In the past, I'd go to the gym by myself and consistently just go through the routine. But with a partner, she forces me to do better. Yesterday we went running through the park and pushed me harder than normally.

REflection 8

This week I was able to go once again and take shots. I used a specific technique this time, which was the technique from the video "How to Shoot a Curve Ball Tutorial w/ Gündogan". It depicted a technique where you stand very close to the ball before kicking and it is a very simple way to freekick. You hit the ball on the lower left/right portion to get the perfect spin. This type of free kick I found quite easy but the bend I was getting was not that much. This week I'm going to find a different style in hopes that it will suit me better.

Reflection 8

     This week I have valid excuses for not completing as much as I would have liked, but I still did slightly better than last week. The week started off with me being sick with a severe case of strep throat, causing me to miss two days of school and be confined to bed rest. Thursday and Friday was the play, which means I spent my entire day at school and did not get home until very late at night. However, while I did not have time or reason to cook or exercise, I recognized myself  going through with some healthy habits I have been trying to implement. One of them was eating six times a day, which I have started doing more often by eating healthy snacks during class, with teacher permission of course. I have also begun drinking way more water, about one water bottle every class period. The thing I am most proud of, however, is the healthier recipes in my home. Instead of traditional rice and beans from a can, we are starting to use brown rice and beans from a bag, which is healthier because there are less preservatives. I also make sure to eat a large helping of salad a day with virgin olive oil and many different types of nuts for healthy fat. I'm disappointed, however, that I didn't have time to work out, but I realize it was out of my hands and this next week I will most definitely work out as much as time allows.  

Reflecion 8

This week I drew in 10 more panels. It's not that great but it's progress nonetheless. I like the way everything is looking so far. There's not really much else to say; i'm in full blown drawing mode. Most of my progress was made in one day so i think i could make a lot more progress by spacing out my drawing sessions. If i can do 7 panels in one sitting i don't see why 20+ in a week should be that hard. My goals for next week remain the same - draw more.

Reflection 8

     Unfortunately, little was accomplished this week. Due to the large influx of projects, exams, and the multiple manuals I have to read if I don't want to die behind the controls of a Cherokee Archer II single-engine prop plane that I am learning how to pilot, my schedule has been full to the point of violently and destructively exploding. All my time this week was taken up by a project that was only assigned on Monday, and this weekend was spent beginning to write a large research paper for the same class. As such, I had only the time in class to accomplish much electronic work on JavaScript, which was spent ironing out bugs in the rock-paper-scissors program I had coded previously. As for the end goal of this project, I have been brainstorming several ideas for the choose-your-own-adventure game's plot and story, but have yet to make any final decisions and am thinking of asking my classmates for advice, recommendations, and input as to the plot and setting. I have learned of a free choose-your-own-adventure game-making program and am thinking of using that to write and construct the branching plot, as well as have something to show if I don't finish the writing and/or the JavaScript program in time for presentation (after all, I feel that having my presentation involve the entire class dictate the actions of a single character would be an entertaining experience for all parties involved). Again, I am extremely unhappy with my progress thus far and, hopefully, will do better in the coming week,

Reflection VIII: The One With Pictures !!

Hi, guys!
So so so, guess who actually took pictures this week? I did!! *applause* I also have my measurements as of today. Nothing new to update this week, as it was average.

Here are my measurements:
height - 5 ft. 6 in.
weight - 121.8 lbs
chest - 34 in.
waist - 26 in.
hip - 33 in.
thigh - 20 in.
calf - 13 in.
arm - 11 in.
neck - 12.5 in.
*all measurements taken at largest point of specified body part

Here are my pictures:

In case you didn't notice, I'M GETTING A BUTT (thank you, squats!). Aside from that, I don't see much difference yet, but if you'd like to compare these pictures to the ones from my first set the link is here: http://twentypercent15.blogspot.com/2015/03/reflection-iii.html

This upcoming week, I'll just be keeping to the usual workout schedule, nothing exciting planned. I'll keep y'all posted. Please check out my other blog here: http://twentypercent15-cat.blogspot.com/ !!

Reflection 8

The song did not get much work in this week unfortunately, mainly because I had rehearsals for my indoor percussion for a performance that happened this weekend. There were also a lot of projects that were due during last week and this week. I did learn about Effects however, which allow me to create sounds using already pre-made sounds. It essentially lets me alter the sound of instrument, which will definitely help it making it sound clean. Besides that, it has been a pretty quiet week for this project.

In the meantime, Alex out.

Reflection 8

Unfortunately, this week I didn't achieve one of my goals. That goal was to come up with a story line for my application. I had a couple of test and assignments this week so they took up a majority of my time, but there was a little a bright spot this week. While brainstorming ideas I researched and saw that a large number of my ideas have been implemented. I want my application to be unique therefore,  I want to try and think of something that hasn't been done before. So hopefully by the end of next week I will have my ideas set in stone and ready to continue the process.

Reflection

So, I didn't have a ton of free time this week. I had to play the flute in a memorial service...it's a long story. Anyway, so in light of my low-quality oil pastels, I've decided to order some new ones online. In the meantime, I've started making outlines of some new drawings. One is going to be a waterfall, and one a landscape with a road and the side of a lake or some other body of water. I guess I've been pretty nature-inspired lately due to the amazing weather we've been having, and some recent events in my life. I'd show you pictures, but the outlines are pretty faint and hard to see in a picture. Also, I just realized I made two outlines of landscapes in the portrait arrangement. That was silly of me! So I'll probably change them anyway. Ta-ta for now!

Reflection #8

This is the first week this where i wasn't able to prepare a dish. First of all, my partner and I werent in town all weekend. Both of us were at college accepted student events, thus, disallowing us to come together and work on this project. Therefore, to compromise for my lack of work this week, i decided to do some research online about baking. I found out a lot from this website and i will take all of these tips into consideration next time i bake. 

https://www.dominosugar.com/baking-tips-how-tos/basic-baking-tips

Reflection 8

This week, the closest thing Micey and I did to cooking paleo was eating paleo brownies and going out for a sushi lunch. This is because we were both at accepted student days. The brownies wee my mom's standard coconut brownie recipe, although slightly under baked and, therefore, gooey and rich as can be. Sushi is not totally paleo because of the rice and the fact that it's hard to know what kind of fish you're eating when you go to a restaurant (is wild-caught or farm-raised, etc. ). However, sushi is high in protein, omega-threes and -sixes, fresh veggies, and many micro-minerals (from the seaweed). Don't worry--there's one recipe we're just dying to try and will make ASAP!

Weekly Journal 8

         I am very upset with how my twenty percent time went this week. My instructor got sick and had to cancel our session scheduled for Saturday afternoon, therefore I was unable to practice the song that we have been working on and the fact that I have not gotten that far into the song makes me very uneasy. However, simply because I did not practice does not mean that I did not do anything. Instead, I watched the following videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvjH32NjMj8, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rny9D9ROBb4, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlZUkNIf118, and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiRwVvv-mQs. I watched all four videos in hope that it would help me with my BIGGEST problem: transitioning. Transitioning is the main component that is keeping me from progressing in the song and it is very frustrating. I can't wait to test out these new methods with my instructor next Saturday and I hope that I can get far in the song because I am very impatient. Next week I plan on working on the song, and watching more videos on transitioning (tricks, methods) and tuning.

Reflection 8

This week, I continued to work on writing the alphabets. But in the past two weeks, somehow it seems as though nothing is going through my head. I do try to expose myself to more Hindi though, because it is easier for me to hear the words and then right then ask my mom what it means than looking it up at a later time in which I would have already forgotten what it is I was looking for. Learning Hindi was definitely different than I thought because of all the different stokes I am not used to. Next week I will work extra hard to catch up on all the letters I have learnt so far.

Reflection ii, 8

I shifted gears a bit and I finally finished the outline on how the story will go. I have a preview to show, but of course, I cannot show you the content of the plot.

Since the beginning I couldn't think or find a theme that would fit the plot and the main character of the story, Amber. In the picture, you would notice that the theme of the story would be, indeed, centered around emotions. The plan is to have a "chapter" handle a specific kind of emotion (special thanks to Wikipedia) that may or may not affect the main character. All that's left is to write the whole story out and edit it with some help. With the way the story is set up, it is probably longer than a short story but closer to a mini novella. Judging by the emotions alone, you could probably tell what I'm going to write but I assure you it won't ruin the fun. I finished chapter i, a relatively short chapter, and I will finish the other chapters when I have extra time.

Reflection 8

This week I got a lot accomplished. I created a weekly schedule that includes cardio, flexibility, strength training and diet. I'm not trying to to follow this schedule religiously but rather use it as a guide. I also went through the list of classes at NBD and highlighted all the ones I'm interested in and which ones I can attend. This morning I went to Pilates class, and I think it went really well. I feel like I worked muscles that I usually don't. 

Another thing I've been interested in, is fit tea. Fit tea is a natural supplement which is supposed to increase your metabolism. There are tons to pick from and I'm considering trying it. After doing adequate research, I found there are really no negative side affects and most reviews are positive. A boost in energy could be really useful when I'm feeling particularly lazy (which is most of the time). 

The final thing I've accomplished this week has been running. For the past week, I've been going on long runs around my town, sometimes into Summit. The beautiful weather makes this possible. They are usually 30 minutes to an hour long and last 3 to 4 miles. I'm hoping to increase my time and distance. I've been using a really cool app called pumatrac which gives you statistics of your run and makes it a route. It's really been helping and looking at progress is inspiring. 

Everything has been going well and it should hopefully continue! 

Reflection 8

This week I practiced my skill moves and juggling of the ball with my feet. I think I have made a great amount of improvent overall. My control of the ball while dribbling has improved and I have practiced all of the skill moves I have learned. I also practiced the step over and got that one down pretty easily however I only do it going towards the right and have not practiced on my left yet. The next skill move I will begin practicing that I have seen a few videos of is the ronaldo chop. This move will help me quickly change the direction that I am dribbling the ball in. I hope after this to learn the double-heel pass/kick and then move on to just tricks with the ball which will take a lot more time and effort.

Reflection 8

I actually began having fun with drawing this week (probably because it was more coloring than actually drawing). Either way, this is the first time in the course of this project that drawing/coloring felt more like a relief of stress than a source of it. I colored the outlines I made during spring break using markers and highlighters. I wouldn't consider the finished results realistic in any sense, but I like them a lot better than what I've done in the previous weeks. The first one I colored was this,

which became:
 
I had so much fun coloring it the first time that I traced the outline two more times and did it again.
Then, i realized that I still had one more drawing to color.

This time, I just colored it once.


While this isn't really what I set out to do at the beginning of the semester, I'm actually very satisfied with these drawings. I don't know if they would be considered "good", but I think they're really cool. These just seem much more "me" than my previous drawings. I'm excited to continue experimenting with color and other styles in the coming weeks.

Reflection 7

This was the week of spring break, so I didn't draw that much. I just made two basic outlines for me to finish later. I planned on using a lot of color to finish these. I did trace to make these outlines, but I still consider myself a beginner, and I don't feel it's necessary to get past tracing before I feel confident enough to do so.
 

Reflection 8

This week for my 20% project, I made good on my promise to practice my braiding and noticed that it was significant better than past weeks. In fact, I did more than the usual two twists and did four twists. My technique has gotten a lot cleaner since I started, although I still need to work on making sure the width of the twist stays consistent. I started with a center part, made four medium sized sections, then did a twist on each one using the "natural attachment" method. My main problem with this method in the past was that the twist wasn't as tight at the roots as I wanted. That was fixed this time as I made sure to twist the two separate strands individually to my desired tightness then twisted them together. As a result, the twists felt more secure and were much easier to work with. For the most part, I think I've gotten this style down and will probably go back to doing regular box braids.

Reflection 7

I have started to plan out my final project, which is a music video combining the different dance steps I have learned. It will require choreography, filming, editing, and of course, dancing! I have already solicited some of my friends from APA to help me with the actual choreography, which will surely be challenging. I think something I didn't consider when I began this project is that the different dance styles I've practiced are very different, and it will be difficult to pick a song that will fit with ballet, modern, jazz, and ballroom dancing! I think what I may end up doing is a shorter routine for each dance, each with its own song. Choreographing is another challenge, because it's one thing to follow the steps in a video, which I already found hard enough, but to think of the steps myself will be an difficult but essential step. Next week, I will begin to actually choreograph the steps! 

2nd Semester Reflection 8

This week I made a Caesar Club Sandwich. While I didn't have enough time to make all of the dish homemade (I used a Caesar salad dressing instead of making one from scratch), I still felt I did well (especially with the chicken). Honestly, this week was important because I proved to myself that I can make a delicious, healthier-than-normal sandwich that I can create at any time. I keep getting more and more comfortable with cooking and creating the dish, no longer do I get scared of any ingredients or processes. While I am no chef, I think I've been doing a good job; my food is tasty, healthier, and satisfying. Next week, I am going to make an all-time favorite dessert, with a twist. I'll be making Oatmeal-Flax Chocolate Chip Cookies. I am really excited, because if I love these cookies I'll have a much healthier alternative to my almost weekly intake of chocolate chip cookies. Until then!

Cookie Recipe
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/oatmeal-flax-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe.html

Reflection 7/8

During the past two weeks, I have been trying to exercise more often and to eat healthier with increasing my intake of salad and chicken while lessening on the carbs and fattening foods. Though during the spring break I was sadly slacking off a LOT, and was not exercising at all, I have been picking up my pace to compensate for the lost time this week by working a lot harder during gym class since this marking period we have fitness. I actually tried to go on the bench again to try to get back into the feel of benching and to see if I was still able to maintain my form after a very long while of not benching but I think that I am not doing as bad as I thought form and strength wise. I was able to do 2 sets of 10 reps with 135 lbs on the bar and attempted another set afterwards but only was able to do 8 reps so I know I have to work more on my chest endurance to increase the amount of repetitions that I can do. My goal is 205 by the end of this school year and hopefully, with the diet and the exercising that I am now able to do because of fitness this marking period, I will be able to achieve my goal and to maybe even adopt a healthier lifestyle to live even after this project is done.

Reflection

Wk

Mon

Tues

Wed

Thurs

Fr

Sat

Sun

Total Miles Run

11	XT: 0-90 min	6-7 miles	4-5 miles	6-7 miles	Rest	17-18 miles	2-3 miles	35-40 miles
12	XT: 0-90 min	7-8 miles	4-5 miles	7-8 miles	Rest	14-15 miles	3-4 miles	35-40 miles
13	XT: 0-90 min	7-8 miles	3-4 miles	6-7 miles	Rest	20 miles	2-3 miles	38-43 miles
14	XT: 0-60 min	6-7 miles	3-4 miles	5-6 miles	Rest	14-15 miles	Rest	28-33 miles

During the past few weeks, I have been very on and off. I always try to do the long runs and I usually make it most of the way. I few times a week, I go with my friend Shannon to the track in Warinanco.

While there we work on shorter runs in short bursts. This has helped my body to recover and has also improved my speed and stamina. Over this four week span, I have run about 115 miles out of 136 which I believe is pretty good. 

week 8

I haven't been getting any sleep at all. The most sleep I got was maybe on Tuesday which was 3-4 hours. I honestly feel so tired and exhausted but my body won't let me go to sleep. Hopefully this weekend I can make time to see my pediatrician and find a solution. With PARCC, finals and also a whole classes that i need to catch up to I am going to be s c r e w e d.

6&7

Spring break has been crazy for me. I spent most of it at the hospital because my aunt was stabbed at her back four times and she was in a very bad condition. The doctors said she was lucky to be alive. I've been talking to a whole bunch of people like lawyers, human services, and doctors and it's just been draining all of the energy out of me.