New Year's Resolutions: 6 Month Update

Eh, it's been a hell of a first half of the year. And one hell of a year- so I'm going to say that any progress on this list is good progress and celebrate that. But, if you want hard numbers right now, I'm at 4/20 which is about 20%. So, not awful-- there are two more definitely in reach, so that will bump me up to 30% and five more that might happen so that could put me at 55% which I'd take after a year like this.  We'll see in December though!

1. Lose Weight, Be Healthier:  Was coming along and progress was being made and then COVID hit like a buzzsaw and everything sort of went to hell here. Goal for the back half of the year: get back on the hourse.

2. To make a list of New Year's Resolutions: check!

3.  I feel like my historical/political science reading is somewhat lacking: I've got to work my way through a biography of Cromwell, before I move onto other non-fiction, but DeToqueville and Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee are still in play for the year. 

4. Be a better friend to people.Yeah, social distancing and quarantine kind of put paid to this as well-- but I can always be connecting on Zoom. 

5. Learn How To Cocktail and Tiki: Mixology is going pretty well, actually. 

6. Buy more clothes for me. This one was shoved to the side with COVID. Just honestly haven't needed anything yet.

7. Start to Learn a Programming Language (HTML/Java/CSS, etc.) Yeah, this isn't happening. I got a free Kindle book on Python 

8. Finish at least one Duolingo Course. This has fallen off as well. 

9. Train for and run a 5K... Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, nope. 

10. Take the 1000 Hours Outside Challenge as a family and win that thing! We need to start tracking this so see how we do, but the kids are loving it outside

11. We've got a wood-burning kit downstairs and this year, I want to actually use it and make something. The Missus has gotten a good start on something, I need to get some inspiration and follow suit. 

12. I declared a 'Year of Books' like three years ago: I've read Wolf Hall and I'm chipping away at War and Peace which leaves the back half of The Book of The New Sun, Catch-22 and Ulysses. I'm getting there.

13. Get another tattoo: nope, not yet. But I know what I want and I just need to go do it.

14. Get the exercise equipment downstairs along with Legos and make my 'office' the coffee/reading room the Missus and I envision. Our 'coffee/reading' area has moved again, but I'm going to call this one done. 

15. Redo the front hall closet: we've got to add trim yet, but I'm going to call this one done as well. 

16. Replace the deck out front: this one remains possible.. working on getting an estimate.

17. Get back to Podcasting! Get better audio, better intro music: better audio, check!  better intro music, check! Consistency? Not there yet. 

18. Revise at least one short story and write two more and send them out for submittal: I've got a Reddit Serial going. I've been working on Flash/Micro Fiction with r/WritingPrompts and Theme Thursdays, but I haven't really been inspired to get an actual short story going. 

19. Edit, polish, package and roll out Book 3! Editing and polishing are well underway, this one is well within reach.

20. Take my pageviews for this blog from 75K to 100K: Technically not done yet, but we're on track and have less than 5k to go.

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