Another winter break has come and gone for me, and as always, this one felt shorter than the last. At least this time it's because winter break actually was shorter than last year's. A full week shorter, in fact. Still, I think I managed to enjoy my break. I didn't travel anywhere or do anything exceptionally out of the ordinary, but I sure did work hard. And I'm not talking about putting in hours at an actual job or making any headway on my senior thesis. I'm talking, my friends, about all the logging I did.
One month ago, as I wrote up my "end of semester" report, I had 28 books, 68 games, and 17 DVDs remaining. I made it a goal to have progress in each field in spite of the yearly Christmas haul. Alas, despite logging something just about every day this break, I now find myself with 29 books, 61 games, and 26 DVDs. At least my one region of progress was the most challenging one to get through in addition to being my largest.
Why did I fail? Perhaps I just didn't try hard enough. But I feel as though every "break" from logging that I took was well-earned and much-needed. I wouldn't have wanted to sit in front of a screen or series of pages for an entire month, especially since this was (hopefully) my last full month without school or work until the day I retire. So I will not apologize for spending several nights drinking or simply hanging out with friends. And I don't regret the time I spent with my family in the least. The only alternative to not trying is making too many purchases. But this can't be the case either, as I have only bought four DVDs - and no books or games - since making my new year's resolutions to control my backlog influx.
Those resolutions, by the way, seem to be coming along very well. The first one - commit to finishing video games after starting them - isn't really measurable, but my high success rate at game logging should reflect on success with that one. Resolution two - complete two items from any medium before purchasing one - is also going smoothly. I already mentioned my four DVD purchases, but I have watched thirteen so far this year, technically giving me a "two and a half" purchase cushion. Lastly, I promised myself to make progress in every category in every month. I've already done that in January, going -9 on DVDs as I've already mentioned while also netting two books and five games.
And what better way for my break to end than with a day in which three separate Back-Blogged members posted five separate entries spanning two movies, a TV show, a book, and a game? It was a fitting end to a winter break defined by logging. Now, a new semester begins for me - hard to believe I've finished seven others already - and after that looms an era of uncertainty. I've officially accepted a full time job that I'll begin this summer, but that hardly means I know where I'll be a year or two from now. A return to school is always an option, but so is relocation. How long will it take me to find my own place? Where will that place be, and who else will live in it? What will I be doing from nine to five each and every day? Many questions cloud the not-so-distant future for me, but I know that whatever happens to me, I'll always have this silly little quest to chip away at on weeknights and weekends. Consider it my constant.
Earlier tonight, I watched Pixar's latest, Up, on DVD. It was my sister's movie, so no logging occurred; this was just a good old fashioned case of watching a movie for the sake of the movie. It was beautifully bittersweet. What Saving Private Ryan's first twenty minutes were to war movies, Up's first twenty minutes were to tales of love and loss. The movie sadly fell apart quickly and overwhelmingly, as talking dogs who flew planes became an integral part of an unnecessary plot, but the final few scenes were heartwarming enough to tug at heartstrings and make eyes water. The beauty with the love story was its simplicity, and without spoiling anything, I'll say only that its aftermath involves a lonely old man finally setting out on a grand adventure he'd been meaning to take for his entire life. Now, I mention Up and its synopsis because I want to draw a parallel here. No, my "quest" to complete my backlog isn't nearly as poetic or romantic as the old man's journey to a faraway land. But it's a goal nonetheless. Only, whereas the old man realizing his dream was beautiful and uplifting, my goal - sit around and look at screens and book pages - would be a downright waste of my final years. (Of course, some would counter that it's a waste of my youth. Let's face it - it's a waste in general.) I'll always love movies, books, and video games - who won't? But if I don't buckle down and get this done, I'll be no different than that old man, resigned to dying without ever having completed what he had aspired to do for such a long time. Yes, Up, ladies and gentlemen, was downright inspiring. I will not let this thing die. It will end on my terms, and my terms are simple. There can only be none!
And now, onward, to my spring semester.
One month ago, as I wrote up my "end of semester" report, I had 28 books, 68 games, and 17 DVDs remaining. I made it a goal to have progress in each field in spite of the yearly Christmas haul. Alas, despite logging something just about every day this break, I now find myself with 29 books, 61 games, and 26 DVDs. At least my one region of progress was the most challenging one to get through in addition to being my largest.
Why did I fail? Perhaps I just didn't try hard enough. But I feel as though every "break" from logging that I took was well-earned and much-needed. I wouldn't have wanted to sit in front of a screen or series of pages for an entire month, especially since this was (hopefully) my last full month without school or work until the day I retire. So I will not apologize for spending several nights drinking or simply hanging out with friends. And I don't regret the time I spent with my family in the least. The only alternative to not trying is making too many purchases. But this can't be the case either, as I have only bought four DVDs - and no books or games - since making my new year's resolutions to control my backlog influx.
Those resolutions, by the way, seem to be coming along very well. The first one - commit to finishing video games after starting them - isn't really measurable, but my high success rate at game logging should reflect on success with that one. Resolution two - complete two items from any medium before purchasing one - is also going smoothly. I already mentioned my four DVD purchases, but I have watched thirteen so far this year, technically giving me a "two and a half" purchase cushion. Lastly, I promised myself to make progress in every category in every month. I've already done that in January, going -9 on DVDs as I've already mentioned while also netting two books and five games.
And what better way for my break to end than with a day in which three separate Back-Blogged members posted five separate entries spanning two movies, a TV show, a book, and a game? It was a fitting end to a winter break defined by logging. Now, a new semester begins for me - hard to believe I've finished seven others already - and after that looms an era of uncertainty. I've officially accepted a full time job that I'll begin this summer, but that hardly means I know where I'll be a year or two from now. A return to school is always an option, but so is relocation. How long will it take me to find my own place? Where will that place be, and who else will live in it? What will I be doing from nine to five each and every day? Many questions cloud the not-so-distant future for me, but I know that whatever happens to me, I'll always have this silly little quest to chip away at on weeknights and weekends. Consider it my constant.
Earlier tonight, I watched Pixar's latest, Up, on DVD. It was my sister's movie, so no logging occurred; this was just a good old fashioned case of watching a movie for the sake of the movie. It was beautifully bittersweet. What Saving Private Ryan's first twenty minutes were to war movies, Up's first twenty minutes were to tales of love and loss. The movie sadly fell apart quickly and overwhelmingly, as talking dogs who flew planes became an integral part of an unnecessary plot, but the final few scenes were heartwarming enough to tug at heartstrings and make eyes water. The beauty with the love story was its simplicity, and without spoiling anything, I'll say only that its aftermath involves a lonely old man finally setting out on a grand adventure he'd been meaning to take for his entire life. Now, I mention Up and its synopsis because I want to draw a parallel here. No, my "quest" to complete my backlog isn't nearly as poetic or romantic as the old man's journey to a faraway land. But it's a goal nonetheless. Only, whereas the old man realizing his dream was beautiful and uplifting, my goal - sit around and look at screens and book pages - would be a downright waste of my final years. (Of course, some would counter that it's a waste of my youth. Let's face it - it's a waste in general.) I'll always love movies, books, and video games - who won't? But if I don't buckle down and get this done, I'll be no different than that old man, resigned to dying without ever having completed what he had aspired to do for such a long time. Yes, Up, ladies and gentlemen, was downright inspiring. I will not let this thing die. It will end on my terms, and my terms are simple. There can only be none!
And now, onward, to my spring semester.
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