Getting Crafty With It - Homemade Advent Calendar

So, I was feeling crafty this weekend, and being the Christmas fanatic that I am, I decided to make a homemade Advent Calendar for the upcoming holiday season. Let's start by giving credit where it is due, I got the idea and inspiration mainly from two different websites that showed similar projects. My own project is an amalgamation of ideas from both sites:

www.kiddley.com

www.craftlog.org

My first step was to obtain the necessary 25 matchboxes for this
project. Not as easy as you might think, though not especially difficult either. I initially tried my luck at the local craft store, but they didn't have matchboxes. The closest thing that they did have were similarly sized little gift boxes, but at over a dollar a piece I would have rapidly blown my budget. The very helpful lady that worked there suggested that I try the nearby dollar store.

Heeding her advice, I headed over there and was pleased to find that they sold packages of six little matchboxes for merely a dollar, much more to my of liking. The only problem now, what to do with all of the leftover matches. I settled on dumping them out the boxes, which resulted in a funny looking mini mountain of matches.

I used some long neglected scrap booking paper (purchased years ago on a momentary whim to become a scrapbooker, which never really came to fruition) to wrap up the outsides of the boxes. To make this easier I cut a stencil out of cardboard to the exact sized rectangle that I needed to cover the boxes. I decorated the boxes with some stickers and also labeled each with a number to indicate each of the days of December leading up to Christmas.

Next, I printed up and cut out little strips of paper containing Christmas or holiday related tasks and activities, folding them up and placing them inside of each of the boxes. I checked over the calendar to make sure that certain tasks fit on specific days, but for the most part you can be pretty flexible with this. I plan on adding some small goodies to each box as well, if I can find ones that are small enough to fit. I placed them all in a cookie jar and positioned it on the mantle. Final step, stand back and admire my supreme craftiness. I must say, I am pleased with the way that this turned out.

My list of Christmas/Holiday/Just-plain-fun activities is as shown below:

1. Write letters to Santa Claus
2. Paint everyones' toenails
3. Make paper snowflakes to decorate the house
4. Have a Christmas movie night
5. Make and hang edible gifts for the squirrels and birds
6. Enjoy hot chocolate with all of the trimmings
7. Choose some puppets to use to tell the bedtime story
8. Fold origami decorations for the Christmas tree
9. Dance and sing to Christmas music
10. Give everyone crazy hairstyles
11. Make decorations for the tree
12. Play a game in the backyard (or hot chocolate party if it is raining)
13. Pick out a nice Christmas tree, add decorations, and consume eggnog
14. Make a list of things that we are thankful for
15. Bake a batch of Christmas cookies
16. Have breakfast for dinner (pancakes, waffles, etc.)
17. Finish Christmas Cards for family and friends
18. Go star gazing or take a night time walk with flashlights and check out the Christmas lights
19. Go to see the Nutcracker Suite Ballet
20. Family Games Night
21. Bake another batch of Christmas cookies
22. Wrap a toy and bring it to a charity Christmas tree
23. Dress up fancy for dinner time
24. Prepare a special Christmas Eve treat for Santa Claus
25. It's Christmas! Remember that you have a family that loves you and that's the most important gift of all.

If anyone enjoyed this post or has done something similar that they would like to share, I would love to hear from you!

Lest We Forget

It isn't easy to find the words to express some things, but for the sake of trying to remember a friend of mine that I lost this past year, I am going to attempt it. For the most part, I haven't really allowed myself to fully process or grieve for her passing. It is still in many ways too raw and painful to think about. What I remember most is the sick feeling of shock that rolled over me when I saw her picture in a news story, followed by the desperate hope that somehow it was all a mistake. I knew deep down of course that it wasn't, but I couldn't bare the thought of believing it. I still find it almost impossible to wrap my mind around the fact that she is really gone.

I remembered that it had only been a matter of days since I had checked out her latest photos on Facebook. I remembered thinking how happy she looked, and feeling proud of how successful she seemed to be. We had been closer many years ago, but for the most part we had lost touch with each other. Even so, as I tried to digest the news of her death, I felt myself reeling over from the shock. I collapsed into the chair on which I was sitting and I felt the tears pouring out of my eyes. Since that moment, it has been extremely difficult to really think about it, and for the most part I have avoided it.

It is easy enough in hindsight to say that there were warning signs, that someone should have known that something was wrong, but I think that everyone who knew her personally was just as shocked and stunned as I was, and probably more so. This was the first, and thankfully the only time in my experience, that someone I've known personally has chosen to take their own life. I had always believed that I would feel angry with someone for committing such an act, but I can honestly say that I have not been able to muster even the smallest shred of anger towards her. What I mostly feel is an aching sadness that no one had the slightest idea of the secret pain she must have carried around with her always.

There is the longing to go back in time to do something, say something, to make it somehow better. Even if I could just go back in time and stay a little more connected to her while she was still with us. She was a remarkable person, full of life, and talent, and kindness. Her story should not have ended this way. No one's story should ever end like that. To her family and loved ones, my deepest condolences for their tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with them at this time. Sad though I am, I know that I can scarcely imagine their pain. As for my friend, she was truly the kind of person that I feel fortunate to have known, however briefly. I can only hope that somehow she has now found the peace that seems to have eluded her in life.

Rest peacefully in Heaven. I will always remember you.

Bzz Hat

Spoiler Alert - J., don't read this. You know who you are.

Finished my latest knitting project at last. It is a pattern called Bzz Hat from the book, Stitch n Bitch Nation. I am giving it to my sister for Christmas. I know it is rather early for that but I am hoping to make several knitted gifts for presents this year, so I have to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later. I am pretty sure that my sister doesn't read this blog (does anyone?), so I am not particularly worried about spoiling anything. For my next project I have to do some quicky baby hats as gifts.

Susan Boyle - Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

Wow. Like many people, I heard about this performance on the telly show, Britain's Got Talent, and so I decided to look up the clip on YouTube. I suspect that my initial reaction to this woman was much the same as the majority of others. I like to think that I am open minded and willing to judge people by their inner worth, but I am ashamed to admit that when I saw her, I just couldn't get past the thought that this poor lady was about to humiliate herself. Why? She looked, well, old and frumpy. She did not look at all like what I thought a star should look like. I wasn't proud of it, but a part of me was snickering right along with the audience.

But then she opened her mouth and started to sing and I was blown away, along with everyone else. To see the looks on everyone's faces, from the audience to the judges, was absolutely priceless - no less so, because I knew that the same look was on my own face. She took a hostile and derisive crowd that was chomping at the bit to tear her apart and instantly transformed and humbled them. The snarky and bemused laughter quickly stopped and was promptly replaced by looks of amazement and cheers. Even the terminally cynical Simon Cowell (and who can blame him, considering how many truly awful performances the man has been forced to sit through) was grinning from ear to ear.

There is something timeless and wonderful about the triumph of the underdog, and this was frankly one of the greatest come from behind victories that I have ever witnessed. So go, Susan go! You are my new hero. I don't actually watch any of the Idol/spin off type shows, but if I did, you would get my vote.

Hot Cross Buns

We're just enjoying a lazy Easter long weekend here, and we decided to try our hand at hot cross buns, since this is a tradition in the husbands family. So, I figured I'd better give it a whirl and add them to my repertoire. The monkey and I worked away at them this morning, then let them rise for a bit. Pretty soon, they were about to overflow the confines of the bowl we put them in and take over the kitchen, so we proceeded with the next stage of prep. We haven't actually tried to eat them yet, but I just finished piping on the icing and I think they look yummy, if I say so myself. They had better be, after the disaster zone that was our kitchen while we baked these guys up. A good time was had by all throughout the process, so I think I will call the experience a success. Time to make up a nice cup of coffee and perform the taste test!

It`s my job to be cute, Mommy!

So the monkey has discovered the art of delaying tactics as far as bed time is concerned, to the point where it is really starting to drive me bonkers.

After getting up for something like the 10th or so time, I told her that she could tuck herself back into bed this time, because mommy was going on strike.

To which she looked somewhat shocked and resulted in the following conversation:

Monkey - But Mommy!, that's your job to tuck me in!

Mom - Yeah, well maybe you should have done your own job, staying in bed and going to sleep.

Monkey - It's not my job to go to sleep, mommy! It's, it's.... my job to be cute! I'm a cuty pie!

Mom - (D'oh!) Okay fine, you win, you're cute, let's go tuck in.

Monkey - (triumphant smile, followed by evil genius laughter)

But seriously though, something has got to give here, and I am going to have to find a new way of dealing with this bedtime terrorist, because the whole appeasement policy thing is just not working out for me.

My Toddler, the Pill Popper

A couple of weeks ago, the monkey caught a bad case of the flu. She had a good weeks worth of fever, coughing, runny nose, etc. So, during this time, upon the doctor's advice, I gave her an assortment of meds - mostly children's Tylenol before bed for the fever, and some cough syrup for kids, as needed, depending on how much she was coughing. Both of these meds have been specially formulated with flavours that make them appealing to children. Seems like a good idea, because of course if it tastes awful, it might be hard to get your child to take it when they need it. Unfortunately for us, we had the opposite problem. The little monkey liked the bubblegum flavour of both meds so much that she considered them to be basically a candy-like treat. I tend to use medicine sparingly and only when really needed, but the monkey kept on asking for it all the time, and just wouldn't give up already.

``Mommy, please! I need medicine! I`m sick mommy, I have a fever! I need it! I need it!``

You get the idea. This same phrase, with slight variations, was repeated ad nauseum, long past the point when she no longer needed it in any way. Even now, several weeks later, she will occasionally ask for medicine, claiming to be sick, though she is gradually getting somewhat discouraged by the consistent NO! response.

I told this story to a friend of mine with a similarly aged daughter, thinking that my child was a freak for loving medicine, and she laughed and told me that her daughter does the exact same thing, sometimes claiming to have a tummy ache, when she obviously doesn't. Not sure what the answer to this is, but it almost seems that by making the stuff taste too good, it's almost dangerous, because children are far more likely to have accidental overdoses if the manage to get their paws on stuff. Of course, I keep it all in a safe place out of reach, but anyone who has small children can attest to the fact that they are pretty darned resourceful when they want to be, so it's still a worry. Anyhow, I may start purchasing less kid friendly products in the future in order to alleviate this issue.

Brand Loyalty - Don't be Scammed!

I've been thinking about the concept of brand loyalty lately, and mostly how it usually results in people getting screwed or taken advantage of, though often without them even realizing it. I used to consider myself as having brand loyalty to a number of companies, often without any particularly good reason aside from the fact that they tended to be what I was used to and the thought of switching to a different brand seemed rather tedious. Unfortunately for consumers, companies tend to take advantage of the fact that people like to stick with what they know, and often use the opportunity just to further gouge their customers instead of actually giving them something of value in exchange for their loyalty. When this happens, it is time to give your business to someone else, because really, loyalty has to be a two-way street or else it is just getting taken advantage of.

Case in point, tax software. There are a million other examples, but I am picking up on this one because I recently finished my taxes. We used to always purchase Quick Tax. It was a good program and I was happy with the interface, results, etc. But then each year they started jacking up the price, as opposed to say, offering me a discount for being a repeat customer. Even worse, they introduced multiple tiers of products, designed to meet different levels of complexity in terms of how involved your return was. Doesn't seem like a terrible idea on the surface, but they pretty much designed it so that the most basic (and cheapest) version was so crappy that pretty much everyone would want to upgrade to the mid-level (that is more expensive) version. Even that one strategically didn't have a few of the commonly required functions for all but the most basic of tax returns. In order to gain access to those functions you had to opt for the next level up (another excuse to charge you more money).

What really blew my mind was the fact that with the basic version they wouldn't even carry forward your information from the previous year. I mean really, how petty can they get here? When it comes down to it, there really isn't all that much information to carry over, just a few basic facts about yourself, family members, a couple of numbers from last years return, but honestly what is the point in using the same product year after year if they won't carry forward basic information like this. The point of course is that they want me to purchase the more expensive versions of their software. Well this is one customer whose loyalty they no longer possess.

Last year we switched to something called UFile. Having used both, I can honestly say that they are pretty equal in terms of interface. Both follow a sort of interview format, with prompting me to enter information about myself and my family. Both allow me to file electronically. Both allow me to download updates. UFile however, has only a one size fits all version, which has all of the same functions as the most expensive Quick Tax software, for less than the price of the least expensive (and worst) version of Quick Tax. It also allows me to file a greater number of returns. It also not only offers to carry forward my information from last year's UFile return, but it actually allows me to carry forward information from returns prepared with different software (including Quick Tax). Despite all these advantages, I was still initially hesitant to change programs. Inertia can be a difficult thing to overcome.

This is how brand loyalty tricks you. It takes an effort to shop around and compare prices for the best value, and companies take advantage of this. Instead of giving back something in return for customer loyalty, they use it as an opportunity to gouge you. Not cool. This isn't always the case of course. There are many good companies out there that provide good value to their customers, I am just saying that you need to make sure that you aren't giving your loyalty away for free, just to get screwed over in return. Make sure that the brands you are loyal to are earning that loyalty in some way, be it customer service, price, superior product, whatever. And just because they have earned it in the past shouldn't give them a free pass to take you for granted in the future. If a company ceases to deserve your support, by all means stop supporting them. If they earn it back, by all means go back. Someone I know who works for a phone company assures me that they reserve the best deals for people who are threatening to leave. So if enough people start voting with their feet, companies will either have to change for the better or go out of business. Sounds like a good idea to me.

25 Random Things About Me

So, I know this is way behind the 8-ball and has already been done a thousand times by a thousand different people, but I really needed an excuse to make me put in another entry already, since it has been way too long. I normally hate this sort of thing, which is why I resisted up until now, but I decided to go ahead and just do it anyways. So if you are the sort of person who would rather gouge their own eyes out than read another one of these, I recommend you just close the window right now before you go any further. Otherwise, enjoy. I will try to be brief.

1. I am a Scorpio. I think that astrology is interesting, but bunk.

2. I know how to walk on stilts. I taught myself when I was about 12, when I randomly decided that this was something I wanted to do. I got my dad to help build me a pair. Once I mastered the first set, I got him to build me another higher pair, and then a higher one again. After that he refused to build me any more pairs, so that was that. It's like learning to ride a bicycle though and you never really forget how to do it.

3. I have a tattoo.

4. I have 3 piercings (1 on each ear and my belly button).

5. I got my appendix taken out when I was a kid.

6. I am a bad liar. Not enough practice, I guess.

7. I can do a trick where it looks like I am removing my finger. It is always a hit with children.

8. I love camping and the outdoors. My most ambitious hikes thus far were with the husband on the Juan de Fuca trail and hiking to a mountain called the Golden Hinde (tallest one on Vancouver Island). The husband and I want to hike to a place called Della Falls (tallest waterfall in Canada).

9. I prefer cross country skiing to downhill.

10. I used to watch figure skating when I was a child.

11. I have a TV, but no cable, so I only use it to watch DVDs. I prefer to wait for a show to come out on DVD before I watch it.

12. My current DVD obsession is House, M.D. I am part way through the second season now.

13. I am unashamed to admit to being a geek. I love all the Star Trek spin-offs, Battlestar Gallactica, Babylon V, you name it.

14. I enjoy making graphs in Excel. Sorry if that is beyond weird.

15. I am also obsessed with Zombie movies and Jane Austen period style movies.

16. I played the flute and the piccolo in a marching band.

17. My favourite dessert is creme brule. The husband bought one of those little torches so he can make it for me.

18. I have a major weakness for chips, pretzels and anything salty.

19. I think that prime numbers are pretty cool (hey, I admitted to being a geek).

20. I was really good at skipping as a child.

21. My Starbucks drink is a Tall Americano with cream.

22. I am afraid of spiders. Something about the 8 legs just gives me the creeps.

23. I enjoy knitting, though I have a short attention span, so most of my projects are pretty small. Some of them are pretty cool though if I say so myself.

24. Someday I aspire to keeping a houseplant alive for more than a few months.

25. I was the president of an Astronomy Club at one time.

So there you have it. If you feel like you want the 10 minutes of your life back that you spent reading this, don't say I didn't warn you at the beginning.

Help! My toddler flushed the cardboard toilet paper roll down the toilet!

Okay, I am really not sure what to do about this one. The monkey was on the toilet taking a poo. The good news is that she is somewhat toilet trained (still has the occasional accident, but no more diapers). The bad news is that I ran to get something in the other room, and I heard the monkey saying, "Oh no!". When this comes from a toddler it is usually bad news. So I run back to find my daughter with a concerned look on her face, saying, "I flushed it down the toilet mummy!" Further questioning ensued and she tells me that she flushed "the whole roll" down the toilet. The bowl is empty and all of the poo and toilet paper appeared to have gone down just fine. In spite of the grossness factor, I reached in to see if I could get the thing out, assuming it might have gotten stuck in the pipe somewhere. There was nothing within reach for me to take out. A few test flushes seem to have gone down just fine, though I haven't tried actually using the thing. We have another toilet that we can use instead, so this isn't an emergency situation.

My question is though, what the hell, if anything should I be doing about this? Can I just let it be and assume that it will eventually dissolve? Is this a problem that requires immediate attention? If the toilet continues to flush, can I just forget about it? Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Knitting Two Socks at the Same Time

The husband got me a book for Christmas called, 2-at-a-Time Socks: The Secret of Knitting Two at Once on a Circular Needle, by Melissa Morgan-Oakes. It looked kind of complicated, but I loved the idea of finishing them both at the same time. In the past I have made wrist warmers, and I know that each time after I was finished the first one, the last thing in the world that I felt like doing was knitting up the second one. Being a sort of novice knitter with a low attention span, I have never attempted socks before, but after looking through the book, I figured I might as well give it a shot, and why not learn a new technique while I do it? How hard could it be?

Well I won't pretend it isn't tricky, especially at the beginning, but I do think that it is a super cool idea. My first attempt had to be unravelled after a couple of rows, due to a number of errors that were compounded by the fact that my 2-year old got a hold of the thing and pulled a bunch of stitches off the needles, but the second time around appears to be running smoother. I have finished the ribbed part at the cuff and I am onto the main body of the sock now, which I love because it means I can just stick to knit stitches as opposed to knit 1/pearl 1 ribbing. I am also getting better at keeping the wool from being a tangled mess of criss-crossed yarn, which can certainly tend to be a problem with this technique (it was for me, at any rate). I feel like I am starting to get the hang of the whole thing, and the next big step forward will of course be when I have to start on the heel flap and stuff, which is a little intimidating, but I hope to push through it all. So anyhow, wish me luck, I will post more pics as things progress.

Still Not a Millionaire

Well, I didn't hit the big jackpot this past weekend, so I guess that means I can't quit the old day job just yet. I don't normally even bother with lotto tickets, considering the infinitesimal chances of winning and all, but I do admit to being tempted once the winnings start to surpass the $20 million mark. With a windfall like that, I would definitely be kissing the working world bu-bye, but it begs the question, how much would be enough to say, "that's it, I'm set for life"? Not sure what the answer is, though $1 million is probably enough, but what about $500K (maybe) or say $250k (nothing to scoff at, but probably not retirement time)? So where do you draw the line? As I said, I don't really know, but I like to think that I would probably be happy enough with any kind of winnings I was lucky enough to acquire, be they large or small. So, if anyone out there wants to donate to my personal Early Retirement Fund, please feel free to set up a donation (yeah, I know, it is not going to happen).

Lovely January West Coast Weather

Sometimes you just have to love the west coast. It has been sunny and beautiful here for the past several days. We've been for walks by the ocean, romps at the park, and just generally enjoying the lovely weather. The warm sunshine made me think about plans for my garden and such and then I realized that it was still January, which actually doesn't signify that much in a city where the trees start blossoming in February. As always, I have great hopes for a lovely little garden this year. I think that I will start with planting a few bulbs this weekend with the monkey. I seem to have the best luck with planting most stuff directly into the soil (rather than starting from seed inside), so I will still have to wait a bit before things will be warm enough for that to happen. I'm thinking a mixture of flowers, herbs and maybe a few veggies or lettuces. If things turn out well I will post some pictures later in the season. Wish me luck.

The Best Job in the World

I heard about this one on the news last night and I couldn't help but dream just a little bit. The idea is that some lucky duck gets to spend 6 months exploring the Great Barrier Reef and getting paid $100K to do it. They have to keep a blog or something, but really it has to be pretty much the sweetest deal around. It is actually a genius move by the Australian Tourism Agency, because it has gotten them a huge amount of international attention at a pretty bargain price when you think about it. Apparently the web site keeps on crashing because they are being so flooded with applicants. To apply one must create a 1-minute video explaining why you are the best for the job. Unfortunately for me, I am probably too lazy to bother with doing that, but I would have to admit that I am tempted. Anyhow, some lucky so-and-so will actually end up getting this job and I would have to say that I will be pretty darn jealous of them, let me tell you.

Out of the Mouths of Children

No doubt you've heard it before, but kids really do say the darnedest things. It occurred to me the other day that I should probably write down some of the funnier/cuter things that the monkey says before I forget them. Maybe they will seem silly out of context, but for us they were all pretty funny at the time.

One of the monkey's recent obsessions includes Peter Pan and the Little Mermaid. I won't even get started on the political incorrectness of the classic Peter Pan movie (perhaps another post), but they have both cemented the fascination with Fairies and Mermaids, only, the monkey calls them Tinkerbells and Marmalades. Ariel is the little marmalade, and all fairies are referred to as Tinkerbells, or Tinkerbell's cousins. Another favourite character is Baby Beluga, but the monkey insists on calling it him baby dabluga. The husband and I always find it hilarious.

Another one, which only happened once, but was hyterical, happened when we were driving along the road and the monkey got really excited because she noticed that the car in front of us had a tail. I tried to explain about it being the exhaust pipe. She processed that for a couple of moments and then stated very seriously, "that's for the car to go pee pee mommy". I was laughing so hard, I'm lucky there wasn't an accident.

On the subject of priceless moments, grandma was over for the holidays, and of course one morning the monkey starts having a total meltdown, can't remember why, but then suddenly she stomps back up to me and states in a loud and unmistakably clear voice, "Holy Cr**, Mom!, Holy Cr**"! Now, the husband and I do NOT use profanity, around her or otherwise, and neither does grandma. I was shocked, and of course because she got such a reaction, she starts shouting it over and over again, just in case we didn't get it the first time. I can only assume that she picked it up at daycare or on the playground or something. After the initial shock of it, I played it as nonchalant as possible, calmly explaining that we don't use that sort of language in our family, and she seems to have more or less forgotten about the expression, since there hasn't been a repeat. Her new expression of choice in similar circumstances is, "Oh, bother!", which I know that she picked up from a Winnie the Pooh story and is, I think, far preferable to the other one.

My other favourites in the cuteness category, are when she says things along the lines of, "You're my favourite Mommy in the whole wide world!", or things like, "Ariel loves her daddy, just like I do!". I know, mushy, but it still melts my heart every time I hear them.

Wet and Soggy Newspaper - Yuck

I know, it's been raining and all, but isn't there something that can be done to avoid the second day in a row of opening the door to find a wet and soggy clump of grossness waiting for us? It didn't get wet after it was left because it was in a sheltered location. The thing was virtually unreadable, even worse than the day before. Guess I'll see what happens tomorrow and decide if I need to complain about it. I understand that stuff happens and all, but after the 2nd day in a row I would hope that people start to take some kind of precautionary action in order to avoid another repeat. End of rant.

New Year's Resolutions

So, ha ha, it is that time of year again and I am really not a big one for making resolutions that are inevitably broken in short order, but since one my plans this year is to improve the abysmally small number of entries in this blog, I figured this would be a good way to start posting again. Yes, I know that was a run-on sentence, and it probably won't be the last one, so there.

So anyhow, here are some of my plans for 2009. Hopefully my next entry won't be made a full year from now lamenting my dismal lack of accomplishment with respect to the following list. I guess we'll see.

1. Make more frequent entries to this blog. Hopefully at least 2-3 per week, or more. Try not to laugh if you think this is a pipe dream.

2. Knit presents for my parents and in-laws for the coming Christmas. If I really get my stuff together, I could maybe even knit presents for the sister and sister-in-law, but I am trying not to set myself up for too much failure. Also, the husband will be making stuff as presents too (not kniting). He seems to find it amusing that I am making that one into my resolution, but too bad for him.

3. Eat healthier and prepare more foods from scratch. We've been doing a pretty good job of baking bread and I want to keep this up and expand more into other things.

4. Engage in more exercise, nothing major, just start running a bit again, or hiking or what not. The husband wants to do push-ups and sit-ups at night and I said that I would do it with him.

5. Get things organized and establish tidier habits for everyone in the household. Living in a 2-bedroom condo with a 2-year old sort of forces you to keep on top of things, and we actually haven't been doing too bad with this, but it is the sort of thing that requires constant vigilance, because if you let things slip, the next thing you know it looks like a chaos explosion ripped through the place.

6. Read more books. I love reading and I have been re-discovering the library recently, so I want to keep up with that, and balance between the classics and newer stuff. Along the same lines, I want to work on completing all the unfinished books on the shelves in the office. I was going to say I'll read Ullyses, but I am just not sure that I am up for that one.

7. Learn to play the penny whistle. The husband brought one back from Ireland and it is similar enough to the flute and piccolo of my youth, so it shouldn't be too hard and I know that the little monkey will enjoy hearing it.

8. Watch more zombie movies. Really, how can you go wrong with that one? The husband also wants to see all the new super-hero movies, and of course there will be the new Star Trek and Battlestar Gallactica season. Oh yeah, and also Terminator. I am hoping that a new Resident Evil movie is coming too.

9. Keep the garden alive and thriving. We started off pretty well with that one this year, but then we went away on vacation. Enough said.

10. Get the monkey out of diapers. We're getting pretty close on that one, but it just seems like it is going on forever and ever. Seriously though, I will totally cry if that one isn't done like dinner by this time next year.

Well I guess that is ambitious enough for now. Wish me luck and don't worry, future posts will mostly be shorter.