A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

hoohaa 52

2013: Looking ahead

I don’t make resolutions.

I’ve always found many New Year’s resolutions are made in a drunken stupor or something along those lines. Maybe it’s something one has planned to set as a resolution, but they all seem to be the same thing, anyway.

Over the years, I’ve tried to do things like resolutions. More time at the gym. Eat better. Do this. Do that. Turns out it’s just like most people — it never happens.

Each year, I try and make goals, however.

In my eyes, the difference is with goals, you have something to aim for. With resolutions, it’s a lifestyle change almost.

I also try and keep most of my goals somewhat realistic. I won’t say I will drop 100 pounds in 2013. Would I love to drop a whole heap of weight? Sure. But knowing how much I lost in 2012 (about 20 pounds) and how my pants no longer fit (which is a good thing), I try and keep goals a little more on the realistic side.

For example, I would never say I am going to try and go to the gym 4-5 times per week as I know, come April or May, I’d just stop or really slow down.

So, without further delay, I give to you my top-five goals for 2013. Hopefully, they’ll all be met.

1. A job

Yes, this is goal No. 1 in every way shape or form. Come this February, it will be two years I’ve been without a job. And if I’ve reached the end of my unemployment benefits, I’m going to be tapping into the final funds as I refer to them — retirement, small savings etc. It’s what I have to do to survive. Talk about living close to the chest — it will be what I have to do.

I continue to send applications out at a pretty quick pace. Some require some in-depth stuff, others are filling out an online form and attaching a resume. Either way, I need a job. I realize many Americans — and people throughout the world — are in the same situation. So hopefully I can find something soon.

 2. Complete the HooHaa 52

Photo challenges are a lot of fun. However, last year was not good for me completing these challenges. I failed at both the second go of the HooHaa 52 and my second attempt at a 365 (well, 366 last year) project.

This year, I’m being a little different — I am only doing the HooHaa 52. In that group, there’s a new theme each week. I think I can handle that. Even if I take on other challenges — blogging, reading etc., a one photo-per-week challenge should not be too difficult.

I look forward to looking back on this challenge to see a year in photos.

3. Read more (25 or more books)

In 2012, I got away from reading books. That’s too bad, too, as I really enjoy it. Especially with the Kindle and how easy it is. Sometimes, I just don’t want to sit down and read. Other times, I am just too lazy to do so.

So, I’ve jumped into a reading challenge (as some of you may have noticed in yesterday’s post) and I’m going to push myself to read at least 25 books this year. Reality is, I should be able to average about a book every week or week and a half, so I’d like to think I could get 40 in. That being said, 25 is a realistic goal. I’ve also joined a few sites where books are given to bloggers to review. I like that as it will not only help me fulfill my reading goal, but it will also allow me to have things to write about on the blog. I like writing book reviews, so having 25-40 days worth of posts based on that wouldn’t upset me one bit.

4. Transform my blog

This goal has more than one part, hence why I’ll go with the generic “transform” in the goal title.

Over the next year, I’d like to transform the blog to have a little bit of what I’ve wanted for a long time. So, to do this, I need to do the following:

  • Have a full re-design of the blog with a custom theme (I know who I want to do it, once I can afford it)
  • Blog at least 10 in-depth pieces
  • Continue Snapshot Saturday and Soundless Sunday
  • Have at least one Foto Friday per month
  • Find some other fun things to gain readers/networking (food things, games, fun stuff)
  • Try and post at least 25 times per month, at a minimum

This won’t all be easy. But, this blog is near and dear to me. I’ve been blogging some version of A ‘lil HooHaa since June 2005 and I want to see it continue for as long as I can.

4A. Visit more blogs

I put this as a 4A because it’s kind of part of transforming my blog.

If I want to get more readers and network with other bloggers, I need to make it so I visit and read more. Comment more. See what others are doing. There are some fantastic bloggers out there and I’d like to read them more. Therefore, I need to make some time to read more of them. In time, once I fulfill Goal 1, I hope to get myself some sort of a tablet — such as an iPad. Once I do that,  I think surfing for other blogs will be easier as I’ll be more apt to do it when lounging.

Still, before that happens, I need to do some things to get myself into the habit. I think I need to clear my Google Reader and start from scratch, using that as my homepage and trying to keep tabs on blogs a lot more.

5. Be happy

I know, I know, this seems like a cop-out goal. I assure you, it’s not.

The past two years have been two of the hardest I’ve ever had. During the time of being unemployed, I’ve watched a lot of things happen. Friends have become overly successful, have families and such. Other people in my industry keep going up. All the while, I apply for jobs and continually get looked over.

It sucks.

I’m happy as hell for friends and family doing well, but it’s also hard because I feel 20 steps behind. I look at the future, too, wondering what it will hold. The majority of the people I know or hang out with have never been through this. And I appreciate all the kind words and deeds they have given, but it’s still hard.

I haven’t been happy. I try and put on a good face. I can enjoy certain things. But in the overall scheme, I’m not happy. So I need to find personal happiness. I know what I need to do that, and it starts with Goal 1. That starts the healing process, per say. As that happens, other things start to turn around and, in time, I hope the happiness will follow and I’ll be able to really start enjoying life once again.

In the end, these goals are ones I think I can conquer in 2013. I hope, anyway. Though No. 1 is the most important at this time, the one I truly want to accomplish is No. 5. If that happens, everything else will hopefully fall into place.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

The HooHaa 52 is back!

The HooHaa 52 is back for its second year.

Those of you who haven’t followed my blog might not have a clue what I’m talking about. So here’s the brief synopsis of what it is. Basically, it’s a 52-week photography challenge. I have a group on Flickr with some fellow flickrites and each week, there’s a new theme. All of the participants have a week to interpret the theme and take a photo, positing it to the group.

This year, we have 13 people participating.

That’s a good number as it gives each person four weeks where they will choose the theme.

Last year, we started with a lot of people. However, as the year went on, people dropped out. It was disappointing, but it’s not too shocking as many people drop out of long photo challenges (I almost dropped out of the Project 365 so many times, but plodded through and was happy I did it).

Several people had mentioned doing something a little less stressful, so I came up with the basic premise for the 52.

I like the group we have this year as it’s a diverse group and some talented photographers.

I’m personally really excited for this as it’s hopefully going to push me in photography again. Over the past few months, I haven’t been able to push myself with my photos. I didn’t take near as many as I wanted to at GeoWoodstock and I didn’t utilize a few other things. The reality is that I live in a rural area and, at times, it gets hard to take photos of trees, back roads and small town stuff. Though there are some bigger metro areas within 1:30 or so (Albany, Binghamton), it’s still not that easy to up and do all the time because of current gas prices.

So, who knows what this can do for my photo inspiration.

Last year’s themes were interesting. Some of the more intriguing ones were:

  • Communication
  • The Wilderness in my …..
  • Abandoned
  • Signs
  • Geometric shapes
  • Juxtaposition
  • My peeps!

Now, remember, each photographer can interprit the theme any way they see fit. For example, the “My Peeps” one. Though most people thought of friends etc., at least one person used the candy Peeps. So it can be whatever each photographer thinks. It’s very cool.

I haven’t made it “illegal” for themes from last year to not be used, but I am hoping most people will stay away from it and try and expand even more. Or, at worst, take one of last year’s themes and make it a little different.

The first topic is to be posted this Sunday and next week is the first week. I’m pumped to see what is around the bend with the photo challenge!

For those of you reading… have any ideas for themes I should consider during my weeks? Post them in the comments section!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com.

Notes from my noodle: June 23 edition

One week!

A week from today/tonight, I’ll be heading out to Western New York and Pennsylvania to attend my first GeoWoodstock. I’ve been looking forward to this since it was announced last year that it would be so close. The weekend is shaping up to be a good one, so hopefully, Mother Nature will cooperate! But who can tell with the weather as the Northeast has had threats of thunderstorms for a lot of the warmer days. It will likely be hit or miss, so we’ll see.

I’m also going to work on a story for the blog and for a geocaching magazine while down there, so that will be fun.

For those of you who aren’t geocachers, GeoWoodstock is the biggest event of the year — the crowning jewel for many. There are more than 3,000 people expected at this event, which is a one-day affair at the Warren County Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania.

This is the ninth straight year GeoWoodstock has been held.

On top of the main event, there are several other smaller ones. Three of them are on Friday and two on Saturday (three total with the big event) and one Sunday. I’m hoping to hit all seven events, so we’ll see how that goes.

Of course there will be some geocaching, though I’m not sure how much will get done Saturday!

It should be a hoot, though, and I’m looking forward to getting away and thinking about geocaching for a weekend. I can’t wait to meet a lot of people and such, so it should be a blast.

And for readers of the blog — if you are going to be there, drop me a note! I am hoping to meet as many people as possible down there.

***

I don’t know what’s going on, but three of the last six or seven postcards I have received through Postcrossing have come in an envelope.

That stinks.

I’m one who like to receive the postcards with a stamp and postmark on it. I save all of these cards and just having one that is written on and put in an envelope kind of stinks. I even have it in my profile that I would rather not receive cards in an envelope. I know some people like that. Some people like the card untouched in an envelope. That’s their right, I guess, but I can guarantee I’ll never send a postcard in an envelope for this hobby. It seems to take away from what this whole thing is!

To each their own, I guess, but when I start scanning them in for an eventual personal book I am going to make, it will stink to have them not have stamps etc.

As of writing this, I’ve sent 97 postcards (that have been received), have nine more traveling and have one expired (which means it either did not arrive there or has not been logged in the 60-day span given before Postcrossing “releases” it. On the other end, I’ve received 92 cards so far.

***

I don’t usually write about a lot of current event/newsy/political things on this blog, but I saw something the other day on Twitter that blew my mind.

Someone, posting in regard to the death of Jackass star Ryan Dunn, said, “Does it matter if Ryan Dunn was drunk? The outcome isn’t going to change.”

Really?

That has to be one of the most idiotic things I’ve ever seen written.

It turns out that Dunn was more than two-times the legal limit in regard to his BAC levels. Also, it’s reported he was driving in upward of 140 miles per hour.

With another person in his car.

So yes, dear Twitter user, it DOES matter. He killed himself and another person because he was extremely irresponsible.

And you, ma’am, are an idiot for thinking, on a social network like Twitter, that it didn’t matter that he was drunk and driving.

***

I need to get out and take some photos. I haven’t been out with the camera in a while and I’m really missing it. I need some inspiration.

On that note, I’ve started the wheels in motion to get the second year of the HooHaa 52 rolling. The idea of the 52 is a 52-week challenge. Each participant takes a photo a week for a full year. Each week, a new theme is posted and a different member posts it. This way, the people participating have a lot of control over this challenge.

I’m hoping to start it up in a couple of weeks and have reached out to many people who participated and finished last year. If this sounds of interest to you, let me know. I am only allowing a certain number of people into the group so that it stays small and participants get more than one week to name a theme.

If interested, a couple of things to note. Be sure you’ll stick it out with us. We had too many people drop out last year (we had a lot of people, though), which made it so I had to come up with random themes too often and that got me a little burnt out at the end. The other is, you’ll need to be on Flickr (you can have a free account) as the group is on there.

Leave a comment or e-mail me if interested and I’ll let you know how many slots we have left etc.

***

And to close this edition of Notes from my Noodle, I give you my Twitter entry of the week, which comes from former WWE superstar “Stone Cold Steve Austin.

“Locked my keys in the truck @ super wal mart today in town. What an idiot. Thanks to Pursch Motors for the help. Gonna go kick my own ass.”

He did follow that up by posting a photo of the guy trying to unlock his truck and said:

“Guy trying to unlock my truck…just gave myself a Stunner….time for a cold one…cheers.”

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com.