a January list

Okay, so I've been thinking it over and have come up with a few resolutions for 2011:

I will gain weight.
Well, perhaps not "gain", but I'm just trying to rearrange things a bit. A couple three years ago or so, I started doing strength training to do something about my lack of upper body strength and noodle arms. I think maybe they're a little less noodly, but still...


I will drink more.
Remember when Magnum and I started drinking red wine every day? Remember? Again, this was a couple three years ago or so. Supposedly drinking red wine, in moderation, is good for you. Something about antioxidants I think. Anyways, we became winos and were doing quite well with it, but somewhere along the way, we fell onto the wagon. Really, I just got lazy and didn't always make it to the liquor store to keep us regularly stocked. A few weeks ago, I discovered 3 bottles of wine in our stash, so we're back off the wagon, but we've been clearly failing as alcoholics. As I type this, I realize we forgot our daily wine imbibe yesterday (that beer doesn't count).


I will work harder, not smarter.
I've already discussed this recently and don't want to rehash it all again, but I'm cutting back on the night-class teaching. That 10-hour-a-week crossing guard job will help to alleviate my urge to accept every class and tutoring opportunity that pops up on my radar.


I will volunteer less.
This is Meego's last year of elementary school, and I really want to offload my volunteer responsibilities there. I've got a wonderful woman who has naively signed on to co-chair Run With Lumber with me this year, and then insanely take it over next year! She's got the right personality for it, and her kids are young, so she's in it for the long haul. It's nice to know that it will be in good hands. She's a military wife, though. They BETTER not move! As far as PTO treasurer goes - anyone who can balance a checkbook can be a PTO treasurer. Not losing sleep over that one.


Allrighty then, let's go with it.
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celebración de frío

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you are all safe and warm and not having (too many) regrets over anything that transpired last night.

Our New Year's eve was pretty low-key. Just the family, and it was pretty cold out, so we stayed in for most of the evening...

Except for, of course, Midnight Mile 2011! Yes the first mile of the year has been logged

It was a cold one - temperatures were around 2 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit - I'm just gonna say 5 and call it good. There was fresh snow and a bit of drifting here and there, but an invigorating New Year's welcome all around with no frostbite that I know of or twisted ankles, chipped teeth, etc.

There were noticably less revelers out at midnight this year compared to years past, but still a few fireworks going off all around.

I only got one photo from "the midst" of it. I think the camera wasn't liking the cold. We did manage to get some shots after the completion. Note that Chaco did NOT run in a mere t-shirt, but he'd already stripped down by the time all the stragglers were in.

On a bit of a regretful note, our local AdAmAn climbers did not make it to the top of Pikes Peak for the midnight fireworks show. This has been a tradition since 1922, and no one could remember it ever being called off. Apparently, though, while we low-landers were tolerating the cold and snow, the conditions above tree line were dangerous enough to halt the climb and the show within a mile of the top.

There's always next year! Now back to my resolution making....

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resolutions

Happy New Year's Eve Illustration Friday! This week's prompt is "resolutions". I had a feeling it might be something along those lines.

I've been formulating a few resolutions of my own as it's that time of year. Any bad habits out there waiting to be kicked? New ones waiting to be tooken up? Care to share?? (Is "tooken" a word?)

Happy New Year, everyone!

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what I got for Christmas

Oh, right, as if you care!

Actually, I realized it's been a while since I've visitied the bloggie. Well, it IS the holidays, but then again I have practically NO social life...

That class is keeping me just busy enough, and I'm having fun with it. It's a large class, so there are actually 4 of us teachers. I've only ever done a class with 2 teachers, so while 2 is company, 3's a crowd, 4's a party! (According to Andy Warhol I think).

In the midst of that, the kids and Magnum are all off from school/work this week. Christmas was fun and now, I think we've sorted through all the stuff that we plan to keep and all the stuff that will be happily chucked out the door donated.

On Christmas eve, a guy answered a craigslist ad I had out there to sell Wolfgang's Guitar Hero II PS2 game and guitar. He showed up at the agreed upon time, and I went out to meet him in the driveway. Little did I know, it was a gift for his kids, who were in the car. The buyer pounced upon me and swiftly stuck the contraband in his hoodie while handing me a twenty. We've had good luck selling stuff on craigslist despite some of the bad press it gets. The pouncing didn't even come close to anything juicy.

Aside from video games, Magnum and I often get games for the family at Christmas. This year we got Scattergories per Wolfgang's favorable review. It's a good time. (A word of caution, however: If your required letter turns out to be a "P", the word "*enis" will probably come to mind for every category for that round, it happened, just sayin').

And now, we count down to the new year. We're planning on running our annual midnight mile once again despite a weather forecast of temperatures in the single digits - or maybe even negatives! Wolfgang was totally determined to do it topless this year, and I was actually going to join him in that (within reason).

Forget about it!
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winter

Happy Christmas Eve Illustration Friday! This week's prompt is "winter".

I like how the birds that stick around all year get all bulbous in the winter. It seems like they should freeze, but they always just look so fat and happy and carefree. Maybe I'll name this one "Botero".

I hope all who read this have a special holiday season! Maybe take it easy on the suet, though...
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frosty silence

I went out back this morning to clean up the dog run and thought I'd take a picture before it was all gone.

No, not the dog poo....

It was all purdy frosty this morning. The trees and fences and everything were covered with this frosty natural flocking. Here in Colorado, while we do get snow, our humidity is actually usually on the low side, so we don't get many frosty mornings like today's.

My photo doesn't really do it justice, but it's all I've got.

In other news, Meego's not speaking to me. Meego's not speaking to anyone. Laryngitis has claimed his voice. Remember being 10 years old? Remember how much you probably liked to talk? He's rather bummed, so we (pretend to) feel badly for him.

In other other news, all of my gift packages have arrived, so Christmas is a go. And.... LOWERS VOICE TO A MERE WHISPER.... I got this little missive from the milk man!:

Can you believe? How Risque! How BRAZEN! It was just sitting in the cooler right there on the front stoop! What if Magnum or one of the kids would've gotten to it before I did!?

Well, alls well that ends well, anyway. Clearly, he can't stop thinking about me.
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Oy, what a day

We're easing into the holidays, right? RIGHT?!

Last Friday, I got a last minute request to help teach a class. No problem, I was actually happy for the work since I didn't have anything else going on, and it's just 3 sessions per week and no interference with any of our holiday plans.

So these online classes, they're always listed in Eastern time and we just convert accordingly. You'd think I could manage a 2-hour time difference! But NooOOOoooo...

Then, I don't know what it was, but I stepped outside to take China the crazy dog for her walk when it finally occurred to me that I had added 2 hours instead of subtracted. The class I was supposed to be helping to teach had just ended it's first session!
*SHITAKE MUSHROOMS!!* (Yeah, I teach math... no really!)

I (virtually) ran over to the classroom to find it empty with nothing but (virtual) post class trash in there. So I ran over to the (virtual) front desk to see what was what. Normally, if a teacher doesn't show up, the front desk people are all over the phones.

Anyway, to spare further boring details, the front desk didn't call because I was just added Friday and they were unaware. There were other teachers there, and they just managed. It's all squared away now and I will be there on time tomorrow MORNING!

So, after that waste, I decided I'd go to the police station because I have to get fingerprinted for that crossing guard job. Nothing like some good old government inefficiency to brighten a day! And such lovely people to share it with!

Actually, I should be happy that it only took an hour.

And the drive home was quite lovely and carefree on a nice sunny day. Except.... have I mentioned that I live near a mall?
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