Ground Rules on TWO Resolutions + Contests

I've got a lot of resolutions for myself this year. I mean, I'm man* enough to admit that. But when I came across this contest, I had to pick my top two. Which I did: Read two books a month and blog daily. However, with my blog daily challenge resolution, I put a clause: two excuse days a month.

I should've put some ground rules down before I signed myself up for this scheme of awesome, but I didn't. So I am right now. I guess it's true when people say it's better late than never!:

1. Blog daily. The blogs don't have to be masterpieces or a certain length. As long as there's SOME content in there, it's acceptable.
2. If, for whatever reason (i.e.: unable to get time on the computer) that I cannot blog on a certain day, I get a reprieve.
   However with that being said, I can't take advantage of this. That's why I only get two excuse days a month, with the understanding that I can't 'stockpile' them for a later date.
3. If I don't blog for three (or more) days a month, I have to make up for it by doing something**
4. I will have fun. This will not turn into a resolution that will make me lose sleep and/or hair.

That sounds reasonable. I like that I get two excuse days. I promise I won't use them unless I honestly truly need to.

Okay so moving on to my other goal: reading two new books a month. I think I found a good challenge for this! I literally just came across the 10-10-10 Reading Challenge. I think this'll work for me! The rules are, as followed:

1. Choose 10 different categories or genres
2. Start reading books from these categories, with a goal of reading 10 books of each by 10/10/10. (Which for anyone who doesn't know, is October 10th, 2010.)
3. Catalog your progress by emailing 101010reading@gmail.com (The people putting this on will add your categories/genres and books you've read as they receive them.)

I think the categories/genres that I'm going to read are as follows:

• YA novels that are about realistic teenagers (i.e: Sarah Dessen, John Green)
• Fantasy novels (can be YA)
• Mystery/Thriller
• Romance (The cheesy ones for $4.99 at Zellers is an acceptable read!)
• Chick lit
• (Auto)biographies
• Completely new authors that I've (never) heard of
• Classics (So perhaps something like Jane Austen.)
• Anthologies
• Humor books (i.e., books by George Carlin, Rick Mercer, etc.)

I think this challenge will get me out to the library more. However, I know for a fact that most of them will be revolved around YA novels. I've got nothing against these types of books (because I ADORE them), but it's not really expanding my reading horizons too much. So another little rule that I'm adding on is:

• THREE books out of each category must be considered "regular fiction"

I think that'll do for now. I think by the end of the week (next week, I mean), I will reevaluate some of my resolutions. Oh yes, the doubt is already starting to creep up. Nice.

But I'd like to say on a random note that I picked this particular background/layout because of Shelly Quade. Ha, I wonder if that'll creep her out.

- Possum

* I'm not actually a man.
** "Something" will be decided on later

P.S: My other resolutions are still in place!