Weekly Summary # 41

My lazy weekend turned out to be a short of vacation week, though with not total laziness. I didn't get to many of my goals, but something good happened which changed my endeavors and shifted my actions, so I am not disappointed. Among other things, I managed to finally order a digital camera, so very soon I'll be able to start practicing food photography and include pictures with my chocolate reviews. Beyond that, even when not directing myself towards my goals I learned a helpful deal about what helps me perform optimally and be my best in spirit, so now I know better how to moderate certain things and conduct myself so as to avoid any pitfalls. Also, I've been getting back into my Sherlock Holmes books, which, while they may not be the object of my reading goals, is a good boost to my reading habits. I'm satisfied in the end.

The list:

1.) Study menu from work: Glanced over it. I had fun looking up some of the terms, but I still need to look into it more deeply. My object is to gain a better understanding of my restaurant's culinary profile and of the food world in general, not remember the items photographically, so I'll need to exert myself again this weekly period.

2.) Perform at least five conceptual exercises per day: Sloppily. Some days I missed, some days I didn't do the required five, and some days I didn't think them through thoroughly. I do want to make this a permanent habit, regardless. I've been reminded how much fun and insightful it can actually be to conduct vocabulary exercises like this: It makes me feel more certain and intelligent a man. Again, my primary problem is not having an efficient and non-hindersome system for documenting words to perform exercises for, as this is what annoys me most and causes me to slack with this practice. For example, when having established a deep concentration in my reading I don't want to be interrupted to write a word down. But again, I'll just have to deal with it and try.

3.) Research/contemplate ways to constantly try new recipes, techniques, and meal plans: Totally forgot. At the very least, my taking culinary matters more seriously has been making me thoughtful as a cook, causing me to get my mind more into my meals and get more out of the process. For instance, I recently learned that adding salt has been what's making my sauteed mushrooms leak that horrible gray water, and now I feel foolish for having done it for so many months when a little research and a thought could have corrected me. More thinking must be done, nonetheless.

4.) Read three chapters of The Chocolate Tree: Nope! Shoved out for Sherlock Holmes.

5.) Research how to create RSS feed for chocolate reviews only: Neglected.

6.) Do Mental Calvinball during every working shift: I tried doing it for part of my shift last Saturday, but I was surprised to find how much my mind rebelled and held back my efforts. Just as I began counting I felt a tremendous urge to think about other matters, making me utterly distracted, and the counting itself slowed me down obscenely, something that didn't happen the first time I tried the technique. I had to give it up because it was making me too inefficient and uncomfortable. I wonder in what way I may have changed that makes this technique so unpalatable now, whereas I performed with it just fine before.

But truth be told, I think I've discovered my poor work ethic to be rooted in other difficulties, which I think I have identified and can now remedy. I'll try those and abandon this. However, Mental Calvinball still exists in my practices, for I use my stopwatch religiously to time myself during certain tasks.

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I anticipate that I'll start being able to include photos with my chocolate reviews by next week's contribution, but I'm not sure if it'll arrive on time. Hopefully I'll be able to publish on time as usual, but if not, I may delay the review or push it back a week altogether. I'll do my best to respond to however things may roll.

Since I've drop the ball utterly on my last goals in favor of other things, I guess I should try again, eh?

1.) Study menu from work: My goal is to be able to understand every concept.

2.) Perform at least five conceptual exercises per day

3.) Research/contemplate ways to constantly try new recipes, techniques, and meal plans

4.) Read The Chocolate Tree, The Science of Chocolate, and other book from library: I don't have any definite goals since I want to leave myself flexible for the arrival of the camera -- I've got to read the instructions, tinker with it, and play with it, you know? It'll make the review process longer, but more worthwhile. I hope I can become respectable enough that companies actually view me as worthwhile to send samples to. That I'd consider a major accomplishment.

5.) Research how to create RSS feed for chocolate reviews only: Given the mix of content of this blog, I want to find some way to cater directly to those who only want my chocolate writings and reviews.

That's it for now. Here's to striving for a productive week.