Kαλό Μήνα - Goals Bad, Pens Good

Baoer courtesy of Amazon.com

I'm not doing well with my goals at all.  I've been terribly busy and overwhelmed by events.

To recap, my goals are to learn Greek and to get my NaNoWriMo novel published.  I have done nothing with my novel, The Hidden Temple to the Lost Gods.

I have been practicing my Greek, but nothing formal.

On the plus side, everybody is healthy.

I finally committed and bought ink for the fountain pen I bought at Christmas time.  I've been using my Lamy Al-Star, but that takes cartridges.  I've been wanting to try samples of bottled ink.  I got a six pack sampler of bright blue from Goulet Pens and one called 54th Massachusetts.  The ink is very nice and they came with a lovely handwritten note from the staff.

We are going to be very busy this month.  CHL and EHL will be starting school on the same day in Boston and Chicago (two cities that need no state to introduce them).  SEL is starting school the very same week.  It is going to be a fantastic juggling trick.  I'll let you know how it goes.

June 14 Review

Here's a quick recap of what's been happening since last post.

CML has been home and taking two classes in UIC so that she can graduate BU at the end of next year.

SEL, CML and I went with the CS troop to downtown Chicago on a Chocolate Tour that was very yummy.

SEL finished 7th grade.

Last week for three days MAL took CML and SEL downtown.  While MAL was at a work conference the children had the run of the Magnificent Mile.

As far as my goals.  I've been studying my Greek, but making little progress.  I have not had a lick of time to work on my book.

I'm going to try to at least make this sort of post at least once a week here, just to keep up to date.

Respectful Memorial Day

I don't want to wish a, "happy" Memorial Day since it is intended to be a day of respect, remembrance and honor for those fallen in our nation's defense as members of the armed forces.

It's been a a long time since I've posted here, and even longer since I've posted my goal progress or family matters.

CML is home from Boston.  EHL graduated from High School.  I mention these in chronological order.

MAL and I flew to Boston and drove back with our eldest on the weekend of the 10th.  It was fairly uneventful except that we had to stay overnight in her dorm and discovered a mattress that is even more painful than our own.  As an aside, MAL and I went on a sort of date to see The Amazing Spiderman 2 (least of several evils) and a dinner at the Bull and Finch (the "Cheers") pub. CML has been working there as a receptionist.

EHL graduated last weekend.  It was a grand affair in the Sears Center Arena in Hoffman Estates. Brazil Express Churrasco Grill in Schaumburg.  It was a small place in a strip mall but very good, and the service was excellent.  I would recommend it as just as good as Fogo de Chao in Chicago.  The Brazil Express will tell you it's cheaper, but I don't think by much.  Apparently now the restaurants of choice for Mundelein birthdays and events are Brazilian steakhouses.  I don't think we will completely abandon our old standbys of Bob Chin's Crab House or Tsukasa in Vernon Hills.
 Afterwards we had dinner at

As far as goals go, I've been behind in my writing because of lack of time.  It is a real lack of time and not a lack of priorities as I do not have enough actual, real time to do everything my family needs, exercise, work and get more than about 4 hours of sleep a night.  I'm really not sure how I'm going to get everything done, but something is going to have to suffer.  It is just a matter of what and how badly.

I have been studying Greek nearly every day, but it's not the kind of study that will get me forward very quickly.  I'm going to have to bite the bullet here and make some very big sacrifices as this is absolutely the highest priority.

I Played Rugby Again

Last Saturday the Chicago Griffins Old Boys played the Chicago Lions Old Boys in a little match (I heard 30 minute halves, it could have been shorter).  I went out with EHL and met Mike, Garrett, Patrick and Amy there.

There was supposed to be unlimited substitutions, but we had no substitutes to sub in.  Garrett and I played the two Lock spots while Mike played at Prop.  We all played the whole game.

I had hurt my right calf on Thursday while helping coach the High School Rugby club so I was a bit slow.  I told them I couldn't sprint and they all laughed.  They wondered why this game would be any different.

We lost 5- 0, but this was the first time I got to play with Garrett.  It was a bunch of fun.

EHL's wearing my hoodie, off camera

I Are a Rugger Again!

Ready for a line-out (ask me about it)
With Mike in the number one position

Thanks to Mike McCormick and the Chicago Blue Rugby Club I got in a little more than a half of Rugby match last Saturday.

I was fairly sure I would be dragging around the pitch, barely able to keep up.  I thought I ran pretty well, though I shied away from some of the more reckless hits.

Lovely venue

I had at least one big tackle that was quite satisfying.  I carried the ball several times and provide good ball in the rucks every time.  I know at least one time, if not two or more I actually stole the ball in the tackle (legally).

I missed one big tackle, but that guy was really really big and fast.  I also should have fallen on the ball once and was too slow.  A back kicked it away.

I was fair in the scrums and lifted in the line-outs to some affect.  I think when I was in there was no drop in quality of our play.  I actually thought I got around the pitch very well and quickly.  We lost in the end, quite handily, but we did have a forward try while I was in.  Mike scored right in front of me.  Congrats to him.

I had a good time.  MAL and SEL came with me to Milwaukee, we saw Amy and I was invited to come back.  I am a very happy Rugger.

Polls, Princesses and Polyglots!

Princess Aniela Radziwill

Our last poll was about Disney Princesses.  Voting was split evenly between Cinderella, Merida and Elsa (with one each).  I think I forgot to vote.  I vote, Jasmine.

I hope this next poll gets a bit more action than the princesses did, so to speak.  I'm taking a different tack entirely.  How many of you out there speak any languages besides English?

If you are capable of having a light conversation with someone or at least ordering food entirely in that language it counts.  You don't have to be a UN translator, but just taking it in high school for two years probably doesn't count.

FYI, the photo is from a Princess Poll (or rather a Pole Princess as in Polish).  According to Arrayed in Gold, Princess Aniela Radziwill was born on 3 October 1781 in Vienna, the eldest daughter of prominent Polish-Lithuanian nobleman Michał Hieronim Radziwiłł and Helena Przeździecka.  I'll bet she was a polyglot.

Goal, Finally!

On the first of February this year I promised I would share my 2014 goals with you here.  I said they would be leaner and meaner, then I never came back and told you what they would be.

I'm going to rectify that right now.  I've decided that I have two goals this year.  The first is a writing goal and is being covered on Illini6.  I will get my latest novel, Hidden Temple to the Lost Gods published.

My only other goal will be to learn Greek.  I have to make all my leisure thoughts (I have no real leisure time) revolve around this and my writing goal.  This has to be my priority.

I have other things I want to get done; I have other things I have to get done; but these are my only two goals this year.

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Recorded / Reported and Time Restricted.

• Specific:  I will be at the ILR Level 3 (Professional Working Proficiency – Can discuss a variety of topics with ease and almost completely understand what others are saying) in Modern Greek.
• Measurable:  I will take a test (TBD) and pass
• Achievable:  I can do this, other people have.  In fact I've being trying to follow the advice of several advocates who say you can become fluent in three months.
• Recorded / Reported:  That's one of the reasons for the blog.
• Time Restricted:  By the end of 2014.

One of the things that concerns me is I find it difficult to imagine it.  I can't really picture what it would be like to be fluent in any other language.  Maybe that's exactly the thing that is hanging me up.  Maybe whatever I picture is not my idea of fluent, so I fail even as I'm getting closer.

I feel if I make it a game I'll do better also.  I always feel like it's a test, a challenge, something to overcome, a destination to reach through a painful journey.  I need to learn to enjoy the journey.

This goal has been simmering for far too long.  I think it is a good indication of how crazy this year has been so far, that I haven't even been able to post my goal yet.  This is not my first time doing this, but this has been the least set in my mind.  I'm losing patients with myself.