The first eight months of 2010

It seems kind of weird to say first eight months, when the year is two-thirds over already.  Looking back at the last entry, there really hasn't been a lot of change in a lot of areas until just very recently.  Still working on the same stuff, though not as much as before.  Still not getting paid for any of it, but that will change in the coming weeks (for sure this time).  As such, it's been kind of tough to be really motivated about anything, which will be reflected below.

Things to Purchase/Acquire

New car to replace the old one - FINALLY!  My old car died three months ago at this point, so I've been using a spare the whole time.  Not a bad car by any stretch, used to drive the same when I was in high school, but it's a gas-guzzling POS compared to my old car (which got ~35MPG).  But now!  New car!  All mine!  And it gets even better mileage!  Sweetness.

Things to Learn

Drum Lessons - Still doing these on an irregular basis, and still enjoying every single one.  As a plus, my instructor might even join the band I'm in with another friend, since we still need a bassist to really start playing stuff.  Exciting!

Guitar Learning - Haven't even thought about this.  I'm pretty much convinced that I'm not going to bother again until Rock Band 3 comes out, which will supposedly help people learn real guitar.  I'm stoked for that.

Games

Wii Games (100%) - I only had one game on the list, and I did finish that one (Muramasa), so I'm done here until I get another game (probably Super Mario Galaxy 2).  Muramasa was pretty fun, but it is very repetitive and the only thing really driving you is getting all the swords.  Once I'd done that, there wasn't much point in playing anymore.

PS3 Games (53%) - In the last couple months my PS3 has largely become my Netflix Instant machine, with some Rock Band here and there.  I did manage to finish Pixeljunk: Shooter (which is a great game, can't wait for the sequel), and am over halfway through Resistance 2.  That one really isn't that good though, so it'll be a while before I bother to finish it.

PS1 Games (66%) - I mentioned in the last entry that I was playing Xenogears, and I finished that.  That game really is frustrating in how good it is, but once you hit the second disc, it just goes to shit.  Really a damn shame.  Moreso than any other game, I'd want to see a remake that's actually complete.

PS2 Games - Haven't finished a game here yet, but I've been playing Final Fantasy XII a LOT.  Like seriously, I've put over 100 hours into it now, and still have more to complete.  I'm at the point where I can just go to the last dungeon and finish it, but I want to get as much completion as possible since it's very likely I won't play the game again for several years, if at all.  I do really like the game, but it's just so long, it's hard to see myself starting it again anytime soon.

Other Media

Movies (116%) - Passed by the threshold a while ago and just haven't looked back.  I can easily see myself getting over 150% by the end of the year.  As I said at the top, I haven't been really motivated, so I've been watching a lot more stuff than before.  And I started using Netflix Instant, so that has helped.

Shows (60%) - Wow, there was a huge jump here.  Granted, I did change the qualifications a little bit, but I have been watching a lot of shows as of late.  Now instead of just shows, I'm counting things by seasons, so even though I only watched 4 shows (Skins, Arrested Development, Madlax, Penn & Teller's Bullshit), they totaled up to 7 seasons worth of content.  And yes, all except one show was thanks to Netflix Instant.  I think I might have a chance to reach this goal now.

Previous Goals

• Focus on smaller games/shows - SUCCESS - At least partially.  I did finish Pixeljunk: Shooter, which is a smaller game, and I'm also playing a couple others currently (like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World).  Final Fantasy XII, not so much.  And even the shows I've been watching aren't really small, but I am focusing on them more.  A few of the shows had seasons of only 10 episodes or so, so that counts too.
• Get new laptop - FAILED - Still not my fault.  And depending on how much I can save in the next couple months, don't know if I'll get this until the very end of the year.  I'd like to have it by the time NaNoWriMo starts, but my paycheck will determine that.  I did get a car though, so I don't feel too bad about this.  I still want this more than anything else.
• Work on second novel first draft - FAILED - Yeah, I don't know if I've ever touched the novel since the last entry.  If I have, it was only for part of a chapter.  Yes, I fail.  Very hard.  No motivation.  I did predict this last time though.  I went into consume mode instead of create mode.

And now for some new goals:

• Get new laptop - This will not go away until it happens
• Get new phone - Now that I know money is coming, this is also a priority
• Focus back on games
• Finish current book
• Get prep for NaNoWriMo complete - This means finish the outline I've started

I think that is sufficient for now.  Going to be working a lot in the coming months, so I'm trying to keep it realistic.  Waiting waiting waiting on that first paycheck.