And A Happy New Year to You

Wow, we have finally reached the last day of 2010.  I don't know what your year was like, but mine was one heck of a roller coaster.  I am sure that 2011 will be no different.

I think that for the most part it was a good year.  I am not looking back on it with any major regrets, and that is a good thing for sure.  That doesn't mean there aren't things about myself I would like to improve in the coming year.  While I don't really believe in New Year's Resolutions, I do believe in setting goals for oneself.  The start of a new year seems as good a time as any to do that, certainly.  So, to close out this blog for the year, I am going to share my goals for 2011 with you.

Read More Books
I have a pile of books in my room right now (I believe I have shown you a picture) that need to be read.   When I get a new DVD or book, I try not to just put it on the shelf without watching or reading it first.  DVDs are easy to work my way through, but books, which I used to blow through like nobody's business, are another matter altogether these days.  Pretty much the only dedicated reading time I have is during meals when my husband isn't home.  That time isn't completely dedicated either, because while the reading is a nice distraction from the huge mess my daughter is usually making of the meal in front of her, I do still keep an eye on her to make sure all is right in the world.  My book pile wouldn't be a problem if I didn't continually add to it, but, well, I am a bibliophile, married to a bibliophile, and I am sure you can guess how that goes.

Really, this goal boils down to better time management.  My daughter's nap-time is an excellent time for reading, but usually I witter that away on the computer or playing a video game.  Same thing with after she goes to bed.  So.  My first goal for 2011 is to find a way to update my routine to allow me to get in some regular quality reading time.

Finally Get Our CD Library Under Control
Oy.  This is one I have been trying to get done off and on for a while, since we moved into our house 3+ years ago.  Between the two (now three) of us we have well over a thousand CDs.  The thing is, we rarely listen to them anymore now that iTunes keeps all of our music in one convenient space-saving place.  We have done a good job on curbing our purchase of physical CDs, certainly.  But right now all of those CDs from before the paradigm shift are sitting in boxes in our garage.  Some of them have been imported into iTunes, a lot of them haven't.  Thankfully I had the foresight to type up the title/artist of each CD as I packed it when we moved.  I even thought to notate which box it was packed in (I numbered the boxes).  Earlier this year, I did go through our spreadsheet and compare it to my iTunes, but now I need to do the same for my husband's iTunes.  Then I need to pull out all of the CDs that need to be imported and do that.  Then I need to find something to do with the bulk of the CDs that we no longer need to hold on to, once they've been imported, as well as finding something to do with the physical CDs we do want to keep.  It's a big task, but I am determined to get it done this year.  Along with that, I would like to get a connector for my iPod to put in my car so I can stop burning CDs to play when I am driving around.

Knit, Knit, Knit
Sadly, this is a carryover goal from 2010.  I did start the process of teaching myself to knit earlier this year, but then got completely derailed by a glut of big blanket projects for various weddings and babies and my daughter and such.  Also, I find it really hard to get motivated to make practice pieces.  So for 2011 I am going to try a slightly different approach.  I have a few patterns for knitted projects and the yarn and needles for them as well.  I think I am just going to dive into the pattern, along with my trusty copy of The Knitting Answer Book, and just see what happens.  This could be a disaster, or it could be awesome.  Finding out should be a bit of an adventure.  I am also planning to alternate projects between knitting and crochet, (I really do have a problem making more than one project at once) and that way I won't be giving up my true crafting love completely.

Write
This goal is divided into three parts.  The first is that I would like to revise, expand, and edit the novel I wrote in November.  Basically, I want to get a second draft banged out, and get one or two people to read it and give me some feedback.  Second, I have another story that I want to start the groundwork on.  I will need to do some actual research for this one, and start in on the world building, as well as getting some characters and a plot/outline worked up.  I don't know that I plan to actually start writing this book in 2011, but I want to seriously dig in to the prep work.  Third, I definitely want to participate in (and win) National Novel Writing Month again.    Maybe getting the first two parts of this accomplished is a bit ambitious of a goal, but I think I can do it. 

So, there you have it, four of my personal goals for 2010.  There are a few other things I would like to get done, of course, but these are the big ones weighing on my mind as we close out the year.  I don't have any huge plans for ringing in the new year tonight--my daughter and I are going to dinner with friends and then we'll hang out at our place for a bit (Hubby has a gig).  I have really come to enjoy these quiet New Year's Eves, though, so I am looking forward to it.

I hope that, whatever you have planned for tonight's celebrations, you have a wonderful (and safe) evening.  Happy happy New Year to you all!

I'll close out with my favorite song to listen to on December 31, A Long December by Counting Crows.  I started listening to this on New Year's Eve because I had a few (to my younger self) crappy years and this song always makes me pause and remember that there's always hope things can get better.  I have found that even if it wasn't a bad year, this song still strikes home with me.  It is a beautiful tune, and always worth a listen.





Also, tomorrow is the Rose Bowl, so GO FROGS!!!

One more also, don't forget to check out today's Gronk!  It's another guest strip, but still awesome.  In today's strip, Gronk tries to replicate Schrodinger's experiment.  It, um, doesn't work out well for Gronk.