2013

it may seem that i'm late to the resolution party. i probably am. so instead of a resolution, i'll just make some plans for what i hope to accomplish this year.

this is something the geek suggested i do a couple years ago. instead of focusing on changes i wanted to make, he said i should focus on what i want to do, see, and eat. the outcome was more interesting than successful...while i didn't accomplish many things from the list, i did enjoy reflecting on my optimistic plans and intentions from the start of the year.

this year, i hope to look back in amazement at how much i've accomplished. i'll cheer as i triumphantly check items off the list.

a more likely scenario would find me, at the end of the year, scratching my head and wondering what i was thinking when i wrote some of the items in the first place.

1. spend an afternoon exploring a new seattle neighborhood with the geek.
2. take a weekend trip to canada.
3. go on a hike.
4. learn to brush the dog's teeth.
5. learn to make butter mochi.
6. get out the ice cream maker and make a batch of ice cream.
7. invite friends over for a shabu shabu party.
8. cook something southern.
9. find a way to make brussel sprouts delicious.
10. sew something. anything.
11. purge my closet.
12. learn to use chopsticks with my left hand.
13. go to the zoo.
14. go to a festival.
15. curate my bookshelves.
16. decorate a wall.
17. plant a tree. or bush. or shrub.
18. read the odyssey.
19. organize the pots and pans.
20. try a new cuisine.

with only 342 days left this year, i better get to work on these right away!

this year is half way finished!

amazingly, it's already july. where has this year gone? the geek and i have become delinquent blog updaters. we'll have to get back in the habit of updating this, even though we're the only people who see it! :) 

now seems a good time to see how i'm doing on my 2010 list of things to do.

1. learn how to make sukiyaki no progress here.
2. read the chronicles of narnia (loved by the geek and most of the world; i must be the only person who could not get through 'the magician's nephew') so much to read, so little time. whenever i reach for a book, it never seems to be this one. so no progress here either.
3. find the perfect meatloaf recipe totally forgot i was going to do this. 
4. get the geek to try kimchi no success here. i'm such a procrastinator. i'll probably save this one for december.
5. go on a vacation finally! something i've done! we went to asheville, nc for a weekend. will head to hawaii in sept too. 
6. see wicked yay! another one done! wicked came to the dpac in may...it was fantastic! i'm on a roll....
7. teach the dog to pose for pictures and the roll is over. still working on this one. the dog still actively avoids looking at the camera. darn.
8. revive the container garden maybe i should cross this off the list. the geek, who is the primary gardener, has officially given up on the container garden. *moment of silence*
9. finish my dissertation (i have a feeling this will be the hardest one to get done) slow progress here. maybe i should have said finish my dissertation draft...then i could give myself a 'done!'
10. learn how to make a shepard's pie done! found an easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy recipe. will include the recipe in another post.
11. learn to cast off and finish the scarf i started 3 years ago wow. i was so ambitious and optimistic in january. i don't even know where the scarf is....
12. cook 2 recipes from the 'ultimate slow cooker' magazine that i just got in the checkout line (maybe i should add 'not buy anything i find while standing in the checkout line?' i am such a sucker.) *sigh* no progress here.
13. find a recipe for british flapjacks grrrr
14. learn how to make a banoffee pie done! and the toffee didn't explode! recipe posted here.
15. make a polish porcupine ball ornament that is actually spherical saving this one for christmas
16. see the panda at the national zoo before he's deported returned to china missed him! :( he left before we had a chance to go to dc.
17. volunteer somewhere (i am such a lazy slacker lately) kinda done. the geek and i volunteered once. we never made it back. we are delinquent slackers.
18. make something with the galangal i bought on a whim nope.
19. improve my thumb coordination so that i can run and jump my way through the new mario game with the geek (i currently spazz out and hit the wrong button all the stinking time) still not coordinated enough to play new super mario bros. wii; luckily in the new super mario galaxy, thumb coordination was not required for player 2.

wow. overall, i give myself a c minus on progress. better get a move on or some of these will be carried over to next year. maybe it would help to print this out since i'd forgotten about half the items i wrote down! 

this year

instead of making my typical new year resolutions to exercise more and eat healthier, i've decided to make a list of things i hope to accomplish this year. this is actually the geek's idea. i think he knows that the exercise-eat healthy thing never lasts very long. resolutions just aren't as motivating for me as, say, needing to fit into a bridesmaid dress or a bathing suit. since i have neither a wedding or a trip to the beach in my near future, there's nothing compelling me to change my habits. the geek's exact recommendation was, "how about stuff you want to eat or cook this year?" i figured i could broaden the list beyond food; afterall, there is more to life than just eating...or so i'm told.