It's New Years Eve, another year marches by.

I've made my Resolutions, as usual. They are not out of reach. I tried to make them possible this year - so often I think we set ourselves up for failure by resolving to do the impossible.

Then again, nothing is impossible, you just have to want it bad enough to really work at it.

My more public goals this year are;
Finish studying the Marseilles Tarot, which is possible since only 17 cards are left.
Learn 4 songs on the guitar.
Write in my journal every day, and at least 1 page a week.
Spring clean, de-junk and organize my house.

My personal goals include, as usual;
Eating a balanced diet, maybe even going low carb again
exercising 20 minutes a day minimum
Drinking a minimum of 64 oz. Water a day

Whenever I make resolutions, I always wonder why I bother - maybe because it seems like a good time to start something new, or make plans for the upcoming year.

I know this year I will;
Be playing a lot of World of Warcraft (Maille on Kilrogg server)
Be road-tripping to Alaska with The Saint, barring unforeseen circumstances
Be reading a lot of excellent new books
Not be worrying so much about the housework as I have in the past
Hopefully be seeing a lot of my sister and my niece Erin


Well, whatever your resolutions and plans for the New Year are, I hope you and yours have a safe, prosperous and happy 2006.

Vacation Planning

The Saint and I have opposing methods for getting ready for a vacation. I am a planner. I plan far ahead. I make lists. If I'm planning a big trip, or extremely far ahead (our potential drive to Alaska next year) I even have a list of my lists.

Alaska Lists
1. Barb's luggage
2. The tote bag (this bag carries the book I'm reading, Game Boy, the iPod, etc.)
3. The cooler list
4. The car list
5. The pre-trip countdown lists
a. Cleaning list
b. List of pet needs
c. Pre-packing list
d. Things we need to buy list
6. The other bag list (this bag carries the camera, computer, cell phone chargers, etc.)
7. Day before shopping list

I am sure there will be more lists.

If we are flying, my bag is packed a week before the plane takes off. I will have previously made a list of outfits I will wear each day, and made sure they are all packed. This will include accessories, and extras.

If we are not flying, I will still have a clothing list. Even if we are staying mostly around home, I will have a clothing list list. And of course, a to do list for the week before.

Also, the house must be cleaned, very well, before I leave. Almost Thanksgiving clean, but not quite. I usually try to clean the week before my vacation. This also entails a cleaning list.

The Saint takes a more zen-like approach. Throw some clothes in a bag the night before. Do whatever he must to keep me from freaking out the week before. If we are flying, make sure we have the tickets. If we are driving, take the car in for an oil change the day before we leave.

True, my way can make for a very stressful week prior to leaving. Of course, there is always something forgotten, no matter how many lists I make.

Luckily, we are both more spur-of-the moment people when it comes to the actual vacation.
We don't plan every day out, no matter if we drive, or fly, but take each day as it comes.

One year we were headed for the Oregon Coast and ended up visiting Disneyland. We had to stop and buy clothes along the way, as we had packed for rain and cold and not 80 degree California sun.

Another year we decided to drive to Reno, and took what we thought was a direct route, which took us miles out of the way. It was luck - we got to see beautiful country, and stopping the car while horse-back riding cowboys drove a herd of cattle across the road.

We have had some amazing vacations, and luckily, in spite of our disparate planning styles, we generally end up having a fabulous time. Now, where is my list of lists......

Hurricane Season

I can't believe another hurricane is heading for the coast. At least it's no longer a category 5, but three is bad enough. Hurricane season doesn't end until NOVEMBER.

I might whine about the never-ending grey in February, but I think I'm going to keep quiet this year. I will take that over 145 mile an hour winds, and flooding up to the roof.

Tonight I sit, toe in the air, chocolate in hand, and watch the hurricane. In case you were wondering, I had toe surgery today (nothing major, but I won't go into the gross and gory details) and unlike the last time I had this done, it hurts like crazy now the numbness has worn off. So, in addition to ibuprophen I have self-perscribed chocolate. I have been virtually chocolate free (except for the chocolate in my non-fat Mochas) for almost three weeks. But my toe was throbbing, and the hurricane is coming, and I am sorry (well, okay, not sorry) I needed it. Wanted it, needed it, same thing.

Since my toe is so bad, I think this is an ideal weekend to play World of Warcraft, and not clean the house. But, maybe tomorrow it will feel better.
Or not.

My toe and I are going to find more chocolate now.

Favorite Places to Read

I have been known to read in the shower, when walking from place to place (at home) and even while exercising. It's amazing how many leg-lifts you can do if you loose track of time. A book at the sports arena is not a bad idea either. The treadmill, on the bus, on a long car ride, the living room floor, in bed; all good.

Some of the best places to read are outside. On a bench or sitting in grass. Some prefer a shady tree, others a sunny beach. I don't have one favorite outdoor reading spot. I am willing to read anywhere, as long as it's not raining. I like a chaise lounge, but I usually end up laying it flat so I can lay on my stomach, propped on my elbows. My favorite position to read in. You have to be careful with webbed chaise lounges - elbows can sometimes poke through.

As a kid I had a great outdoor reading spot between the privacy fence in our backyard and the forsythia bushes. I made a platform out of 2x4 scrap wood with a back, so nobody could tell I was there. In time I had a secret jar of change buried there, an old umbrella, and a nice flat rock to rest my feet on.

Inside, when I wanted to read I would go up to unfinished attic and sprawl on the cedar chest my dad made in high school. In the winter, I would take my coat. I could read anywhere, but I liked going up there. It was quiet. No TV, no sister, no blah blah blah.

Now I have my own house, I still read everywhere. The bed is, of course, premium, but the couch or floor is also fine. Chairs, at the breakfast bar, leaning over the sink. Another favorite is the tub. True decadence is a bubble bath, a glass of wine, and a good book (not a library book - learned that one the hard way).

I always have a book nearby, the opportunity to read a few pages might be just a moment away. I have yet to read stuck on an elevator, or on a runaway train, or when locked in a freezer, but one never knows when a new reading opportunity may arise. And who knows, it may end up being a favorite.

Housework

There is nothing more boring, pointless and repetitive than the drudgery that is housework. Unfortunately, it still has to be done, unless you really DO live in a barn. And even then, you still have to muck it out a couple times each year.

As an undomesticated goddess, here are a few tricks I use to keep housework to a livable amount, (ie, not requiring a shovel when you finally get around to it) and not the focus of my off-work leisure hours.

Clean up 10 things per room every day. Okay, sometimes I don't do it every day. If there are less than 10 things to pick up in a room, then I fold laundry up to ten things. For example; Living room=1 glass, put the blanket back on the couch, take 1 pair of shoes to the closet + 2 towels and 5 pairs of socks. It doesn't take that long, and it makes a big difference.

I also clean during the week. Spending a whole weekend cleaning, or an entire week night or morning sounds like a bad idea. After a full day of work, I want to relax, or do something fun. My solution around that is cleaning one or two things every day in each room. Cleaning the bathroom mirror and changing the towels, or scrubbing the shower. By only doing a few things there is still time to chill out, or play video games, or whatever after work and when the weekend arrives the house is reasonably clean; the weekend is chore free. In theory.

To make things easy, I keep a list on the fridge. Weekly chores, like dusting and vacuuming; chores for every other week, like scrubbing the shower and mopping the kitchen floor, and monthly chores. REALLY cleaning out the refrigerator, not just the weekly scan for dated or furry green items, or cleaning the oven. Actually, most of the monthly chores should truthfully be under a "Twice a Year" heading.

The Saint does his share - he gets a break when it's the busy time of year, or when he's working on a "big house project". He gives me a break all the time; he doesn't really notice dirt, and if he finally does, he will handle it himself.

For keeping housework under control there are many other methods. The daily "whirlwind with a cleaning caddy", the "one chore day during the weekend". The housekeeper that comes once a week. My favorite, but alas, unlikely. My way works for me. Housework is still boring and repetitive, but it's done.

Someday I will talk about the difference between regular housework, and cleaning for a vacation, holiday, or company, which is a whole different ball of twine. But not soon, enough housework for now.