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[personal profile] boogieshoes
Well, it's that time of year where I see how things have gone last year....  note that for most of the text below, the black text is actually coded black, not 'automatic' - some weird thing about the html means when i highlight and hit 'automatic', the color isn't changing... so just an fyi.


HOUSEHOLD MAINTENANCE

1) roofer came and fixed roof for a reasonable price, but then told me to save $$ for a new roof this year or next. Goal: $10k for a 30yr concrete job.

So, the roof came at a must this year.  It did indeed cost about $10k, even with insurance, and I had to take a loan out for it.  So now the goal is: pay off the loan soonest.

2) I need to fix the garage door. Which means I really need to get someone out to look at it, update the radio signal to a new code for a new set of garage door remotes, and to fix/ repair the track/ lever thing. Or replace the track and door.
3) I need to repair – or more likely, replace – the outside door to the kitchen.
4) I also need to replace the one window in my living room that’s cracked. It’s possible this will be part of a set replacement, but it completely depends on what I can do at the time.
5) I have a number of outside outlets, and outlets in the kitchen, that do not work. I need to get those fixed.
6) I need to get the door to my bedroom fixed. This *will* be a replacement, because although the door is new, it was hung in-correctly.
7) I need to repair the light above roomie’s vanity.
8) I need to fix the window casings where the prior owner’s dog chewed on them. This may end up being done in conjunction with an update on casements.
9) I am determined to caulk windows this year.  If I get really ambitious, I will do #3 and #4. 


And of course, none of the rest of the items got fixed...

HOUSEHOLD UPDATES

1) Finish the office updates, which includes:
     a) go thru the electronic stuff


I have finally gotten everything moved to the PC from the old computers.  Now I get to go through all the files, most of which are going to be deleted as not necessary, and start organizing the rest.

     b) sand/ paint the shelving  
     c) presumably, i will have my card catalog up and running, at some point, and as I enter books, I can make a final keep/ send to goodwill determination.


I found the old card catalog, but I haven't decided if I'm going to redesign and make a new one, or keep and expand the old one.  It has considerably fewer books in it than I thought - only about 900, but I have bought a fair few books since then, so...

2) I would like to replace the side-light frames of the front door with new solid-side thingies. (I hate the side windows on the front door. You should be able to run around naked in your own house without getting arrested, and the sidelights prevent that. It’s annoying.)
3) I need to primer-paint the bathrooms.
4) I want to finish painting all the trim.

This is finished except for the roommate's hallway.  He asked to keep his hallway trim white instead of french coffee brown.  As soon as he moves out...

5) I want to get window film for the windows, and also wood casing updates, and curtains. This is an expensive project that will probably be put off until most of the rest of the stuff is done. (ETA1: I keep forgetting, but this has to wait until I replace the windows. Thre's currently ugly lattice-work in the windows, which are double-hung jobs. My preference is for German-style windows: unmarred glass, single-hung windows that swing in or out. This will probably need new casements, too, but we'll see.)
6) Yes, I’d like to update the kitchen, but that will probably have to wait a while. what's left: cabinets, new appliances, backsplash, new counter-top
7) It is more likely I will be able to paint the master bedroom walls, ceiling, and stencil lines.
8) I also want a wall-mural of Neuschwannstein in winter (which can be done via wallpaper).




GARDEN PLANS

1) Build another box.  Should go quicker this time

Have not been able to build another box, and probably won't get to it this year, either.  This project was going to be a fall project... and I started having/ being aware of the whole ovarian cyst/ uterine cancer thing about August.  Needless to say, put on hold until I can handle things a bit better, so probably next fall.

2) Mulch and place and pavers
3) Fill the boxes with soil
6) Seed the boxes with seeds bought from organic farmers.
7) Need to acquire a lawn/leaf bag to catch grass clippings for the compost pile
8) Throw iron out/ recycle it.  Replace with new iron

9) mulch mulch mulch

have decided to replace the iron with moveable, temporary fencing that can grow as the garden area grows.


LANDSCAPING

1) Price how much it would cost to turn the front ditch into a River Runs Through It
2) Work with Landscaper to generate a plan for my yard
3) Goal: retaining wall done by end of year. 

4) Price out concrete for extra parking space.
5) All I need to do on the furnace patch is the capstones on the 2-stone high wall.
6) Goal: clear and mulch 20ft along the back fence.
7) Mowing upkeep, which at this point includes cutting up the three downed limb-tree-things and burning.


So the Jr minions aren't quite working out, I hired a landscaper to help clear the back fence for me.  I can get it to where I can mow it, I can do upkeep on it.  Depending on how this guy works out, I'll use him for other projects going forward.  Also, instead of going straight to concreting for extra parking area, I'm going to gravel it.  Mom suggested this, and I think she's correct in her assessment that it'll add value and be an improvement.  I can always concrete later.

SCA SKILL SETS

a) Since I did, indeed, put in the archery *lane* last year, my goal for this year is to dig out the rope and stakes so I can secure the target butt I also bought.  And then, I can start practicing!
b) Find the in-work stumpwork piece i was working on, finish it, and enter it into at least one A&S contest. And also:
c) Remember to photograph the garden and the stumpwork as it is being completed.


I made a bog coat this year, and am working on the finishing bling for it.  I also made another dress for my persona, one out of wool, because it was d*mned cold at GW in the spring...

STITCHING GALLERY

I’m rolling several stitching things this year.

3) Try to make Dorsett buttons this year.
4) Finish another Mag7 Doggie (I've taken this kit to work to work on my lunch hours)
5) See if I can make more progress on the Christmas cardinals.
6) Laney's sampler (and no, I *didn't* set a single stitch on this last year, why do you ask?)
7) I'm really thinking about doing a 'narrative embroidery' and donating it to the Navy SEAL museum. Right now my goal on this is to decide on a cohesive narrative and draw said narrative out. It's likely that if I get this far, this piece will take over my life for a bit.


So I didn't quite do any of that, but I continue to work on my WIP pile, and try to reduce it.  I have stitched, but not finished into a frame/ pillow/ ornament:

3 Mill Hill beaded ornaments
'The firehouse' - another Mill Hill beaded kit.  this was for Grandpa, but he passed away last summer.  I've decided to keep this one for myself, to remind me of Grandpa.

I finished a celtic horse triskele thing, that I will put on the back of a bog coat I made this year.

I also made good progress on a WIP needlepoint tiger. 

Now.... the adding to STASH news:  When I did go to Oregon this August, I had a wonderful stash enhancement experience :)
I got an Ink Circles piece, which I started right away with Gloriana Silks... because I've been wanting to try an Ink Circles piece, and stitch with different fibers.
I got several Mill Hill Santas, a series I'm in love with, some Miribilia patterns, and some hand-dyed evenweave fabrics of various colors. 

In different Joanne's trips here at home, I've gotten a Riolis owl, another cross-stitch tiger piece (on black, so it really pops out), and something else that's sitting on my side-table, heh. 

I also started:  A deck of 52 cards, + 2 jokers for my SCA group, and for my Fuck Cancer Party at LibertyCon, a 3 smaller pieces to auction off.

I did finish to pillow a piece showing 2 jelly fish.  this is various embroidery stitches, not cross-stitching, and it came out well.  The front of the pillow has a cross-stitched mermaid I did a couple years ago.  The mermaid pillow is for my mother's sister.  I am working on another pillow that has lace and will be accented with hand-attached beading for my cousin.  That  one will be finished in the next couple of weeks, because I'm entering the two pillows and the horse triskele thing into an art show at work.


FANNISH ENDEAVORS
1) I still... have those two essays on writing to finish!
2) Finish Seventh Gift
3) See if I can't make progress on the TS cross-over
4) Upload stories to Dreamwidth, and AO3
5) Start Projects on:
a) LB!JD is actually a girl
b) Alternate Ending to 'Something Wicked'
6) Contact Seremela and talk to her about permission to post LMG, since this story depends so heavily on hers.
7) Finish slice-of-life stories
8) Finish Highlander-AU first 3 stories
9) The Bitter Glass (Green Day 'verse story)

So I didn't manage to do any of this, but I did manage to locate all my story files.  Part of my 'electronic organizing' binge this year will be posting all my stories, finished and not, to AO3... this will end up including a lot of stories that I didn't realize were posted only on livejournal...

PERSONAL ADMINISTRATION

1) Organize household items, including
   a) disaster kit
    c) electronic items
2) begin going through electric files: pitch/ keep/ organize
3) Make the database for my library
4)Maintain bill filing system
5) Convert VHS and audio tapes to updated platforms. (Contingent on buying platform converters)
6) Make a list of cyclical maintenance duties and times due.
7) pay good chunk of personal CC



I'm not completely done organizing the electronic files, but I have reduced my electronic holdings.  I've finally managed to off-load Roomie's computer completely (there were some issues I had to overcome before I could give to him.  fixed now, yay!).  And there were reasons why the rest of it didn't get done.  The last laptop to be completely moved over to the PC is my current laptop.  And the important files have been moved, now I need to move the rest of it.  And organize, of course.  When the current laptop files are moved over, I think I'm going to have to retire it.  The keyboard is going.  And I think some of the other things, too.  That case is just too fragile, and it's starting to break.  I'm thinking I'll probably replace it with a tablet of some sort, or a notebook, which will be mainly used to supplement workouts, and too chat.  Hopefully I can keep to that, heh.  It's amusing to me that the older I get, the less technology I keep.  Ah well.

HEALTH MAINTENANCE

1) Make an exercise plan and stick to it, although be prepared to be flexible.
a) Include Kinnect-X games, and
b) Put Kinnect-Play on the Calender Schedule program with the household chore list.
2) Stick to Cross-fit program I found. This is really a 'cross-fit for weenies' program, for the seriously out of shape. It does assume all your joints are working, so I have scaled down parts even more than it already is. It's a 100-day program. My goal for the first run-through is to get into the habit. My goal for the second run-through is to do the routines as written. I may still have to substitute for running, but I hope I can do the other exercises as prescribed.

Notes: Ideal weight-loss should be 1-2 pounds a week.


So... health has been interesting this year.  I never could stick to cross-fit and other things.  The Kinnect-X stuff has to wait for roomie to leave because I need to do certain things for set-up that depend on him getting his things out of the house.  Hopefully, this year, we'll see.  We're both ready for him to leave.

Anyway, in August, I had something which felt like a kidney stone.  It was not a kidney stone.  It became an unexplained mass, resolved into a probably-benign cyst, which nevertheless needed to be removed because it was massive, and the surgery ended up taking the whole baby-making factory.  I've never been motivated by having children, and if that changes, there's always adoption, so I'm not really upset that doc took the uterus.... However, the final pathology on the uterus was cancer - stage 3 (which i think means metastisized (sp?) somewhat), but grade 1 (slow-growing).  So the cyst.... was probably part of the tumor found in the uterus.  Doc thinks everything was removed, and assures me that he checked the lymph nodes and found no involvement, but to catch any nefarious sneaky cancer cells, I'm currently undergoing chemo treatments.  And stitching small things for a Fuck Cancer party in July. 

I have every confidence that I'm going to be ok, and confidence in my doctors, but being a superstitious sort at times, I'm not saying 'I'm ok!' until, you know, the final CAT scan that shows that I really *am* ok.

I still need to lose weight, and since the nausea drugs are pretty good, the chemo doesn't seem to be helping with that (which, seriously, I'm fine with).  But I've decided as a last ditch effort to buy an entry-level treadmill, so I can have private workouts.  My initial goal is 'get in the habit' - which is probably the biggest hurdle.  But I've been saying I need/ want to get into shape for a while now... I think the cancer is pushing me to prioritize that a little bit more.  I'm hoping the treadmill in the house will take care of most of my excuses, and NOT become a clothes hanger.  And I've been measuring... that's when you know it's serious.

FURNITURE PROJECTS

1) Finish that silly chair!
a) make two matching wood sides (this is a dremel-project, and includes finding my tools... somewhere in the garage...)


Is it sad that I've added to this list 'build a moveable floor for SCA camping', but not finished the other things?  oi.

WISHING THESE WISHES WERE MINE

1) Acquire Garden Software to help Plan Garden and Gardening Stages.
3) Acquire a VHS to DVD converter
4) An audio-tape to CD converter,
5) Replace professionally-produced products with the newer professionally-produced versions.
6) Buy a new tv (look, the old one is a 1994 Toshiba… that came with rabbit ears. No lie.)
7) Buy an XBOX 360
8) Kinnect X
9) Consider buying a household organization software
10) Patio/Deck Design Software
11) Household Design Software
12) Get a calligraphy desk and comfortable chair
13) Get a cabinet for use in that area
14) computer desk kit
15) lawn-leaf bag for mower
16) tow-behind cart for mower
17) Rocking Chair
18) Ashley furniture set
19) Running boards, tonneau cover, and bed extender for Zeke
20) New roof

I haven't managed to work on my archery, but I feel like I have had a fairly productive year.  I've done a fair amount of sewing/ stitching, and replaced a roof.  I've made a good start on organizing electronic files and unloaded a bunch of excess electronic stuff.  I feel like I've made progress on fan-related items because I've *found* things again.  And oddly enough, I feel like I've made health progress, despite developing cancer.  This is probably because I felt much better after the surgery to remove the cyst/ tumor.  My belly was lighter, for one thing, and my colon started working the way it was supposed to, for another. 

Now all I have to do is figure out the Audible downloading stuff, and I'm good to go....

-boogieshoes, the busy

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