Date: 2-27-2014

Due date: 2-27-2015

Resolution: Yesterday I saw the above posting on Facebook that called to sign a petition to add Sarah Elizabeth Jones to The Academy Awards Memoriam Tribute. Sarah is an Assistant Camera Person who recently died in a tragic accident while filming a movie.

I've worked on many films, as a grip I've formed many close relationships with people from the camera department and have even filmed on train tracks when we were supposed to, because of this and my morbid fascination with Award Ceremony Memoriam Tributes I decided to sign the petition.

All I had to do was give my name and the email address I use to sign up for things to avoid spam in my regular email account hit a button and I was done. After that, a new petition popped up asking me to sign. I don't even remember what it was for but at the time it seemed important enough to say, "Why not," and click a button.

I got very caught up in this process and must have petitioned ten of these things and it felt good.

I don't know why this led to such a feeling of accomplishment, there are petitions for all sorts of nonsense on this page and even if they reach the goal it doesn't mean that what you signed on for will go into effect, but it's interesting to see what's out there, and fun to at least attempt to move a cause to the next stage of recognition, so I'll be doing this once a day for a year.

Date: 2-28-2014

Due Date: 2-28-2015

Resolution: I know just the other day I said that I wasn't going to worry about how many readers I have, but that's not to say I'm not going to try to find new ways to get more readers.

Toward the beginning of this venture… I discovered Reddit through my resolution to take advantage of more free education. I've always heard of Reddit but had no idea how it worked. I've been messing around with the site since then and still have no idea how it works but I can see through my statistics tracker that people are coming over from there, so I figured I may as well embrace it.

I created a subreddit for TheWickerBreaker.com and have updated it from time to time, but from here on out… I will try to keep it up to date with my daily resolutions. Every Sunday will guarantee that I fill in anything that I may have missed throughout the week. At this point… this just means posting the actual resolution and responding to comments, but if it becomes popular I'll be sure to add more content to the list.

If you’re a fan of this project and us the Reddit; please check out my subreddit and subscribe. Today's kind of my birthday (I don't really get one this year because of Leap Year though) if that helps to bribe you to participate. :)

Date: 2-29-2014 (aka 3-1-2014)

Due date: 2-29-2015 (aka 3-1-2015)

Resolution: For this resolution… I plan to buy a ship in a bottle kit… build the ship… and then save all of my writing to a thumb drive to seal in with the ship… and then chuck the bottle into the ocean to see if it ever gets found…

Date: 3-2-2014

Due date: 3-2-2014

Resolution: You may know me as the tambourine player for the band Gilbert Grape and the Trucknuts, but you’d be surprised to learn that I wasn't professionally trained. As a matter of fact… I've never learned how to play any musical instruments.

Before I learned how to knit I thought it worked the same way that it does in the cartoons… where it's just a matter of wiggling knitting needles back and forth causing the yarn to magically twist together row after row like paper in a typewriter.

I've always had the same cartoon-inspired vision of that being how you play the guitar. You just hold the guitar a certain way, wave one hand around like a crazy person while moving your other hand around the neck of the guitar, tapping away at foot pedals and somehow music comes out.

I'll grab a guitar from time to time knowing there's a lot more to it, but all I can do is create noise. I've never felt the need to burden anyone by asking them how it works. I've overheard people discussing the process only to nod along with false interest as they say things like, "Playing this letter is like playing that letter only this and that, and once you learn this that and the other thing it's easy to play anything from Foghat."

The false interest is only because the actual language of music is so foreign to me. I'm actually fascinated by how it works, but having absolutely zero experience how to play anything I just accepted my lot in life as a listener of music and not a creator. This is the year I'm going to change that.

I'm not sure which instrument I want to learn but I know I want it to be one with strings. I imagine that I will eventually find an instrument with a touch of novelty to it but I'll probably start with the guitar, mainly because I'm assuming that there is far more free learning material readily available and once I get comfortable with my playing to reach out to an actual person to learn new techniques the pool of people to approach will be much larger.

Who knows with me? By the time I actually get around to starting this I may decide to become an expert at that bucket, broomstick, and a string instrument as a way to stand out.

I'll keep you posted.

Date: 3-3-2014

Due Date: 3-3-2015

Resolution: What's this an old school cellphone?

Nope.

This is the free scanner that I received from the National Consumer Panel a Neilsen/IRI Joint Venture!!!

What the hell does that mean?

I'm not fully sure, but I will be scanning everything that I purchase that has a barcode and participating in surveys to earn points to get free stuff!!!

As a kid… I was always fascinated by my one friend who was lucky enough to be a Nielsen Family. As a kid, who loved television more than anything else, I was so jealous that this casual viewer got to share his viewing habits with the world and not me.

About a month ago I was looking for free samples on the internet for my Free Stuff Reviews when I stumble upon this ad for a free scanner. When I found out this “free product” was part of the Nielsen family of market research… I had to give it a shot. After clicking a few links, filling out a form, taking a survey, and then clicking a finalize link to reassure that I was sober and this wasn't something I signed up for in a blacked-out haze, I was accepted as a panelist.

No this is not the job that I've been talking about on Facebook, there is no pay other than a currency of bonus points that you get to trade in for prizes ala Skee-Ball tickets.

I won't be giving any updates for this resolution, but at the end of the year, I will take all of my bonus points and go on a prize catalog shopping spree and update you as to what this venture afforded me to buy.

Date: 3-4-2014

Due Date: 3-4-2015

Resolution: Wait... the wording of this resolution might be a little strange. I'm not proclaiming that I'm going to neglect my podcast playlist on iTunes. I'm going to try to always have at least one podcast that I'm trying to listen to from episode one.

I've always been a fan of talk radio, but only had a couple of shows that I listened to on a regular basis. About five years ago I discovered that podcasting was a thing. I felt like a kid in a candy store looking at the endless titles of conversations that I could now listen to.

I currently have ten podcasts that I listen to religiously. I tune in for every episode within a week of their release. These shows are (in no particular order):

1. Stop Podcasting Yourself

2. The Complete Guide to Everything

3. Jordan, Jesse GO!

4. Comedy Bang Bang

5. How Did This Get Made?

6. Doug Loves Movie

7. My Brother My Brother and Me

8. Oh No Ross and Carry

9. Pop Everything

10. The Joe Rogan Experience

I love these shows. Most of them post one, one-hour episode a week, so it's easy to keep caught up. When I find that I'm up to date I go back to old episodes that I've already heard. I'm currently caught up on most of these shows twice.

Rather than go back to listen to reruns I'm going to constantly have at least one show to marathon listen from start to finish while keeping up to date on the shows that I'm already a fan of.

I'm starting with The Todd Glass Show. I've been a fan of Todd Glass as a guest on other shows but never listened to his show. I’m a fan of his style of playfully searching for what makes him tick. I love the randomness and how he will stop on a dime to explain what he’s thinking at any given moment and how the guest and the crew are so great at playing along.

I found The Todd Glass Show by going to iTunes and searching for Paul F. Tompkins. This is my technique to not only find but also test whether or not a podcast is for me. Not only is Paul F Tompkins highly entertaining, but he also seems to have been a guest on every podcast that exists. I see his omnipresence in the world of podcasts to come from the fact that he truly loves the medium and not for shameless self-promotion. This is why he makes such a good test subject.

After rereading the above paragraph of praise I realized I need to subscribe to his show; The Paul F. Tompkast. I used to listen and have no complaints, it's just that there's no set schedule for updates so I just lost track. Again this isn't a complaint it’s just an explanation.

I'll keep you posted as to the other shows I decide to listen to. If you're part of any of these podcasts and stumble upon this, thanks for the hours of entertainment.

Date: 3-5-2014

Due date: 3-5-2015

Resolution: Up until recently, when I adapted a few of my screenplays into one novel, I was only interested in screenwriting. Technique wise, I never thought of myself as a great writer. I feel confident in my concepts and content, but my dyslexic head jumbles words and I don't have a keen eye for typos. Writing nothing but screenplays gave me the safety net of a script being a blueprint and not the end product. Nobody is able to see my poor use of grammar when it plays out on the screen.

As I was writing the novel it was like a whole new world opened up to me. Standard prose gives you so much more freedom to explore any aspect of the story that you want. You can take an entire page to describe a room if you want to. You can play with structure and genre on a whim… unlike screenwriting… where the main focus is to follow a formula and only writing what can be seen on the screen.

I signed up for Wattpad to share Apartment Infinity, a series of shorts that I'm in the process of adapting to my second novel. I'm going to be posting new installments every other week for a year.

Every time I sign into Wattpad to see if there are any new comments or likes, I have an urge to add more stories to my My Works page.

So I will!!!

Date: 3-6-2014

Due Date: 3-6-2015

Resolution: Not only do I have a computer filled with written works that I need to go through, but I also have a few cubbyholes, like the photo above, in my apartment that I've filled with an unorganized stash of stories, poems, songs, and other musings from the past. I've been meaning to transcribe and store this mess for years but usually get too caught up in new projects instead.

I've made many false starts including adding a section to TheWickerBreaker that I called Stuff I Wrote Precomputer. Now that I have this resolution experiment to hold me accountable for my proclamations I will use this as an opportunity to set a deadline to finally get this done.

By this time next year… I will have gone through all of these random documents. I will throw away the random notes and checklists unless they are entertaining. I will transcribe anything that is worth saving to its own word document. I will share what's worth sharing. Finally… I will package and store all hard copies because I feel there is something about the handwriting that adds a visual element to the story that I don't want to lose in trade for tidy shelves.

Date: 3-7-2014

Due Date: 3-7-2015

Resolution: Back in 1998 I wrote my first feature-length screenplay (Monkey, Galaxie, Me) using the good ole hunt and peck with two fingers typing technique. When I finished the first draft I instantly knew this is what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

I started to write my second screenplay (This Place Sucks) and found that two-finger typing wasn't going to cut it. I bought a typing instruction program and learned how to type like an adult.

I took a few lessons to learn the proper finger positions and found it made life a lot easier. As soon as I felt comfortable typing with all of my fingers I gave up on furthering my training. Though I know the proper finger position, my technique is kind of a modified hybrid of standard typing and hunting and pecking with all my fingers.

After years of writing this way I can type at a decent speed and I only have to look down at the keyboard from time to time. This works fine for me but I know I can do better and increase my productivity.

I just took an online typing speed test to find that I write 35 wpm. I searched the internet to see what is considered a good typing speed and found 35 wpm falls into the average category. Not bad, but I want to get into the above-average bracket which starts at 45 and goes up to 60. After 60 you become an expert.

I would aim for 60 but then I wouldn’t be able to use the joke, "because I can't type.... 55!"

Date: 3-8-2014

Due Date: 3-8-2015

Resolution: When I was a kid I found a glass cutter in my dad's toolbox. I was fascinated because I didn't know what it was, and thought it looked pretty cool. Later… I saw a cartoon where a cat burglar used one of these mystery tools to cut a perfect hole in a window to break into a house.

This new piece of information made this tool even more enigmatic. I knew what it was but couldn't imagine how it worked. I was too young to get the concept of scoring glass to create a smooth breaking point and thought for sure this tool had to cut all the way through the glass.

Even though I eventually figured out concepts, I never thought to give it a try. To resolve this, within a year I'm going to finally revisit my childhood fascination and create something by cutting glass.

Date: 3-9-2014

Due Date: 3-9-2015

Resolution: I really need to get more exercise. All I want to do any more these days is write. This preoccupation leads to a lot of sitting around. So far I've only made one resolution to fit more exercise into my life.

That resolution is my Walking Alphabet Game where every time I go for a walk I hunt down a new letter in the alphabet. I made this resolution over a month ago and I'm only halfway done. With only 26 letters to track down, I should be much further along.

It's not that I'm lazy, well it's partially that I'm lazy, but the main reason is that I genuinely don't like leaving my apartment. It may sound like I'm joking when I call myself a shut-in, but it's becoming more of a reality as I grow older.

A while back I joined a gym and found that I liked running on an elliptical, but I did mind constantly being upsold on personal training sessions, buying crap from their health bar, or being amongst people in general.

This social anxiety is a separate beast to tackle but it's a reality that I have to deal with. Rather than create an exercise regimen meant to get me out and about I want to figure out a routine I can do from the comfort of my home.

I've bought exercise equipment in the past that has turned into unused clutter. These were very low-end machines. The exercise bike I bought was very uncomfortable and awkward. I bought a treadmill once that was too short for my stride and not durable enough for my weight. I found no pleasure using either of these machines so I just game up.

Another reason that I gave up was that I had nothing to hold me accountable. Now that I have this resolution experiment I know that I will actually use an elliptical if I were to buy one. I already have a great resolution in mind for when it arrives that I can’t wait to get started.

I also can’t wait to share that resolution with you.

Date: 3-10-2014

Due Date: 3-10-2015

Resolution: I don't fully know why, but I've found that I'm a big fan of all the auction shows on the television. When I first got my driver’s license I found out about car auctions that sold unclaimed cars from the impound yard. I would fantasize about going and winning some pimped out car that once belonged to some drug dealer who was serving time. Then I'd get scared thinking, "What if he saw me driving his car once he got out?"

Ah… the imagination of youth.

I continue to have fantasies about something cool for cheap through the auction circuit so this year I will track one down and give it a shot.

Date: 3-11-2014

Due Date: 3-11-2015

Resolution: Being a fan of novelty, I fell in love the first time I saw this piece of machinery. If you go online and do a search for either "useless box" or "useless machine" you'll find tons of videos with these boxes that have customized to have additional useless tricks that give them their own personality.

I'm not sure how I'm going to make mine stand out from the rest, but I'm going to make one, and it's going to be mine.

Date: 3-12-2014

Due Date: 3-12-2015

Resolution: I've seen several people post links to this 24-hour music video Happy… by Pharrell… I have no idea what it's about but I appreciate the concept and wanted to check it out. Right away… I saw the potential to somehow work this viewing into a resolution so I held off clicking the link until I could find my angle.

Granted it would be more of a feat of endurance to watch the entire video in one sitting, I just don't think I'm up for that challenge. I do want my viewing experience to play along with the 24-hour theme. I've seen on YouTube that the video is broken up into real-time hour-long segments. So… I plan to watch all 24 hours during the time being portrayed on the screen and post my findings.

Date: 3-13-2014

Due Date: 3-13-2014

Resolution: Other than Mike Tyson's Punch-Out, my favorite video game in the world is Bloons Tower Defense 5. In the game… there are multiple levels each with a specialized maze. When you hit play… a torrent of balloons is released that follow the maze of a path. It's your mission to set up dart-throwing monkeys along the side of the maze to pop all the balloons before they can make it to the end.

You can play this game for free here, but I like the game so much that I bought the full version and have been obsessed with beating every level and unlocking every achievement. I came close a while ago, but there was an update with ten new levels and several new challenges.

Within the year I will conquer these new challenges and stay caught up with every update that the company releases.

Date: 3-14-2014

Due Date: 3-14-2015

Resolution: A few years ago I used to joke that I was part cartoon because I owned four pairs of the same exact style of shorts and 6 of the exact same solid black tee shirts. Other than a jacket, several pairs of boxers, and a bunch of random socks, that was all I owned as far as clothing went. I looked the exact same way every time anyone would see me, like a cartoon.

Since starting this new job where I have to wear a uniform, I started to think back to those days and how much I liked it. I've never been into fashion so it was nice to just get up and go. It was also nice that is my laundry ever piled up the problem was solved by throwing one load in the wash.

Right now I own four or five loads worth of laundry that inevitably end up and my floor. This has become one of the main reasons that my place becomes such a mess. I want to simplify my life and I'm going to start with my wardrobe.

I'm going to keep all the shirts that mean something to me (i.e. schwag from the movies and television shows that I worked on) but I'm going to send all my thrift store tee shirts back to charity, start from scratch, and keep it simple.

I’m not going to touch my hoodie collection though if anything I’m eventually going to resolve to make that grow. As soon as I can afford it I’m going to get my wardrobe down to a rotation of three work uniforms, four personal life uniforms, and one suit for special events.

Date: 3-15-2014

Due Date: 3-15-2015

Resolution: My month of primarily living off of the survivalist bucket o' food is coming to an end. Meanwhile… because of my new job, I'm also getting close to having money to be able to afford to try new things. As these two events collide I'd like to start a new food challenge. That challenge being… to eat as many different types of ethnic foods that I can find.

Before moving to Seattle back in 1997 I was a bit of a picky eater. I feel that being from San Diego I felt so satisfied eating nothing be Carne Asada Burritos that I didn't feel the need to both with anything else. Being that the Mexican food in Seattle comes nowhere near the quality of Mexican food of my motherland, I had to venture out and explore new tastes.

Rather than go through and list all the types of food I've already tried, I'm going to reset my taste experience to zero. As I try the cuisine of a new country, I will color in said country on the map below and share what I ate along with what I thought about my meal.

Date: 3-16-2014

Due Date: 3-16-2015

Resolution: It's weird to think that I've reached an age where a higher percentage of my existence is now post learning to juggle. Currently… I know how to juggle either two spherical items with one hand or three spherical items with two hands.

I've always wanted to learn to juggle bowling pins, but I'm not fully sure if this is because I want to learn the skill or if I just want to own three bowling pins. Either way within a year, I'm going to fulfill both aspects of this dream.

Date: 3-17-2014

Due Date: 3-17-2015

Resolution: If you know me, then you know that I love mustard. A couple of years ago… I found a website for a mustard museum. I've been meaning to join the mustard of the month club, buy a hoodie and earn a PH.D., by earn I mean buy.

At some point this year I will achieve all these goals.

Date: 3-18-2014

Due date: 3-18-2015

Resolution: For those of you who don't know what busking is it's just another name for a street performing. As a shut-in… I'm not looking forward to this resolution at all. The thought of intentionally drawing attention from strangers scares the hell out of me.

I'm not sure what my street routine will be, but I do know it will be something that I learn via 365 Days of Resolution. A small part of me wants to do this to get out of my comfort zone. A bigger part of me likes the idea of showing up somewhere, setting up shop, and then bailing out the second the first dollar hits the collection device.

We'll see what happens.