Resolution Update

It's been about three weeks since I'd shared my resolutions for this year so I thought I'd give a quick update on my progress.

Graduate Project

This is the goal I've probably had the most success with so far. I hope to soon have a review up on Javascript the Good Parts, by Douglas Crockford, as well as Beginning Javascript and CSS Development with jQuery, by Richard York, the two books I read through as preparation for this project. I also want to post a few jQuery tricks I've found most useful so far, along with a screen shot or two of my progress.

Windows Phone 7 App

I would say I'm having medium success with this one so far. I already have a review of .NET Book Zero, by Charles Petzold posted, with another one on Programming Windows Phone 7 by the same Arthur coming soon. The disappointment comes with having jumped into the programming without a full understanding of the code I was writing first. After reading through .NET Book Zero and most of Programming Windows Phone 7, I can already spot several critical flaws in my first app including window navigation, tombstoning, and data passing, bringing me right back to where I started. I will definitely do my part in trying to prevent others from repeating my mistakes by posting the previously mentioned flaws, and how to properly correct them (until I find out that my new fixes are not the most efficient methods either of course).

Guitar Performance

I've had the least luck with this one so far as I can start to see my dreams of becoming a rock star slowly melting away. I've been practicing the most challenging piece I've tried to date, an arrangement Joan Osborne's “One of Us” by Ulli Bogershausen. However I'm beginning to think that I'm not going to be able to impress any strangers with it, and I may need to step up to an even more advanced version, or drop the song all together.

So that's what I've been up to so far this year. Hopefully I can keep the momentum up through another month, and come back with better results next time. Its felt great to get through all of the reading material while getting most of the design docs out of the way, but I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't worried about the lack of code I have down so far. Alright, here's to round two!