Seabright

Friday, July 1 Took a long weekend last week and went camping in our little Scamp in Sequoia National Park. That's the farthest we've ever towed it! And, holy smokes! Those trees are HUGE! Here's the haps for this week. BTW, I'm starting to feel better overall. The coughing and fatigue are ebbing, slowly, and I'm sleeping better. Baby steps. Book Read one of my favorite books with intention, paying attention to structure and rhythm. Definitely learned something about why I felt it worked so well. 'Wired for Story' still on the nightstand, though. Remodel More progress! Saw a preliminary bathroom layout, found out we'll have to move attic access. Found something called 'window film' which will give us an etched-glass look at a greatly reduced expense. Looks like we won't have to make the window smaller. Dollar savings! Dollar savings everywhere! Hey, maybe that means we'll be able to afford that pretty tile we saw! Mando Played my guitar and sang a bit in a few stolen private moments. Listened to my inspo playlist. Gazed at my beautiful instrument hanging on the wall. Other stuff Sprained my ankle royally on Monday night. After doing all this amazing hiking, longer and longer treks, I twisted it on our familiar after-work trail. Boo. Icing like a madman. Keeping spirits up by chipping through the Scamp-improvements list. Next week Start gentle walks and ankle exercises. Slowly, slowly. Chip away at the novelizing and mando'ing. Think about my competitive streak and how it pushes me to overdo things, stress out, and forget to focus on what's important. Onward!

Friday, June 17 Did some stuff this week. Book Returned to 'Wired for Story.' Which really meant putting it out on my bedside table where I would see it constantly. Moving on. Remodel Made some real progress! Saw a rendering or two, gave some feedback, stayed strong and true on some stuff they recommended against (because it would be harder for them), and made some decisions. Jettisoned the longed-for dream of gigantic ice-cube spheres made AUTOMATICALLY by the refrigerator itself. Turns out, that's really expensive. Fell in love with some really expensive tile. Said hella no to a banjo countertop in the bathroom. What were they thinking? Mando Started listening to my mandolin inspiration playlist again. Jammed with friends on the guitar and sang a few all on my ownsome a couple of evenings. Getting the fingers back in shape on something I feel comfortable with. I know this doesn't sound like much, but it is. Other stuff Took a couple of short hikes with the spousal unit up in the redwoods after work. Did some yoga, took an early am walk through the harbor. Strolled to and fro instead of hustling like a maniac. Had lunch with a friend. Had dinner with other friends. Slowing down. Next week Keep up with the walking and hiking and yogaing. Chip away at the novelizing and mandoing. Knock off early next Thur to prep for li'l camping trip to Sequoia. Stay groovy, Rebels!

Friday, June 10 Mid-year check-in! Joy! All over the place! What's going well I feel pretty good, overall! I have a much more positive and optimistic outlook. I feel like the homeopathy approach to my health is working. I obsess less about being perfect (hence the lack of updates for the last couple of weeks 😉 ). I've done some deep thinking about things I care about. I've FINALLY been able to return to the hiking that I love so well. I've made some book progress. I've made some remodeling progress. I've played some music with friends a few times. I feel the door is wide open for more joy. What could be better - things for the rest of the year Remodel - I want to loosen up the whole 'executing-on-a-vision' thing, and turn some decisions completely over to the spousal unit. This will make everything more fun across the board. Mandolin - I was on-track until I wasn't. Practicing in the morning is definitely the way to go for me. Now it's just making the time and doing it. Novel - I was on-track until I wasn't. I had a goal to finish something solid and readable by end of July, but when I realized that wasn't realistic, I just stopped. I'm shifting the 'readable manuscript' goal to the end of the year. There are some books on structure and story development I want to read, digest, and work through before my next pass. That all requires some shoulder-loosening lack-of-deadline-ness to free up my brain. Joy - I want to be okay with not being a thousand-percent-on-every-second-of-the-day-and-killing-it-at-work-and-thinking-endlessly-about-my-job-and-career-and-putting-a-dent-in-the-universe all the time. It's okay to pause during the day to go for a walk, pull a few weeds, or just go sit in the sun for a few minutes. There are enough dents in the universe. I want a calm mind and to enjoy my life and where we live a WHOLE lot more. Next steps Start next week clean! Have fun!

Friday, May 13 I spent all last week in Yosemite and had a FABULOUS time! Wow! Natural beauty up the wazoo! Lots of hiking, lots of fresh air, lots of good food, lots of snacks, and a view of Yosemite Fall from our bedroom window. Yay! Unfortunately, re-entry into the real world this week wasn't particularly successful. Lots of dreariness, moping, regrets and my life's choices over the past couple of decades, longing for the outdoors, longing for day-long hikes, blah blah blah. End result: self-soothing with too much caffeine, too many sweets, and naps instead of healthy walks. I'll do better next week. Onward! Progress on all fronts: None.

Friday, Apr 29 Tough week at work and I let it seep over into my real life. So, yeah, like, this week's update is, you know, like, really short. Progress on all fronts: None. Next week I'll be in Yosemite (!!!!) for the entire week (double !!!!) , so will be skipping the update on May 6. See youse guys on the week after!

Friday, April 22 I like my new prioritizing-my-stuff-over-work-stuff approach to the day. At the end of the day, I definitely feel less...desperate. Book Plugging away, bird by bird. Fixed one scene and filled one gap. Moving on. Remodel Still thinking about floors. Now thinking about the width of the sink. Not much movement here, but lots of looking at pictures in image search. Mando Feeling like I'm starting to recover my mojo with that one older tune. Still plugging away on the newer tune, but realized that I REALLY need to revisit some of those pesky chords. Practicing different scales and arpeggios. Feeling like I want to revisit another older tune. Cherokee Shuffle? Other stuff Thurs, Apr 21 was John Muir's birthday. Took the day off to go hiking in the rain in his honor. Successfully deflected an unreasonable demand. Did it gracefully for a change. Good outcome. She can be taught! Next week Keep up with the walking and hiking and stretching and icing. Keep at the booking and mandoing. Withstrain self from buying any more plants. Spring planting needs to be officially done. The messy middle is here. Stay strong!

Friday, April 15 Did some things. Made some decisions. Unmade other decisions. Side note: I've been RAVENOUSLY hungry all week. Like, crazy, wildly, hideous-dripping-maw-style hungry. Maybe all the walking? Dunno. It's crazy. Book Started on the timeline, and then realized my method was absolutely unusable. Like, really not helpful at all. Returned to my original notes and started fleshing out and filling in. Made my main character more vulnerable and less snarky. That works much better. Remodel On a rainy day, when we walked in the back door to the kitchen soaking wet and covered with mud, and then kicked our shoes off and dropped our wet jackets and clothes on the ceramic kitchen floor, we realized that a wood floor in there was not the thing. Now looking at flooring. We still love that one wood floor, and we're thinking about putting it somewhere else. Found a wholesale floor place where we can go look at all the things this weekend. Mando Okay! Tried out playing first thing in the morning, before turning my attention to work. Loved it! Kept going on the new tune and revisited an old one. I realized that I have some weird mental block around learning new chords. As in, I didn't go back and learn those minors. Then things got busy later in the week and I didn't do it after Wednesday...but this is definitely the way to go. Plus, on the days I practiced, I just sort of felt better overall. Let's see what next week brings. Other stuff Raining all week. Boo. Next week Finish that one book for work so I can start reading the books my friend recommended. Visit the floor place and stay open to everything. Make myself learn a new chord or two. Reward self with knocking off work early to laze around with our kitty. Onward, Rebel friends!

Friday, April 8 Another week where I didn't show tons of progress on anything. I alllllmost bailed on doing an update this morning, as a way to, you know, like, totally pretend it wasn't happening. But that would be wrong. That's what so GOOD about regularly checking in with our battle logs. It keeps us honest, it keeps us asking why, it helps us see progress, and it helps us identify roadblocks. All of the roadblocks. One of which, for me, is general energy overall. Which has it's birthplace in midnight insomnia. Which comes from the feeling that things are undone. So, again -- slow progress is better than no progress. It's way to syphon off all those random ideas, get them out of my head, write them down, think about them, act on them even in tiny ways, so I can sleep, so I can have more energy the next day, so I can do more, so I can then sleep better that night and so on. Okay! End of pep talk! Yay for me, no matter what! Book Bought big stickies as a way to approach that scene timeline. Started reading one of the aforementioned books and then got distracted. Sharpened pencils. Remodel Talked about colors. Agreed that we didn't want anything dreary. Agreed that we don't like gray, no matter what the latest issue of Architectural Digest says. Agreed that a new floor is a must-have. Talked about possible short-term rental ideas, including staying in our 13' foot Scamp in our driveway and using the contractor's outhouse. Realized we need to enter crazy-super-saving mode in order to do all the things. Mando No playing this week. Really, when the day ends, I just don't have it in me. Looking for ways to do this first thing in the morning instead, schedule allowing. Other stuff It's a freakin' beautiful day today! I went for a walk first thing! First time I've done that since last summer! Everything is awesome! Next week Work on the timeline. Make a couple of decisions for the remodel. Relearn minor chords, keep going with the new tune, maybe revisit an old tune for inspiration. L

Friday, April 1 Check out that date. I wish I were foolin' when I report how little I've done on a couple of fronts this week, but, well...'struth. One thing I've noticed -- every other week, I have a series of back-to-back meetings at work throughout that week that take a ton of energy. I make very little progress on my own stuff during those weeks. (Guess which week this was.) This is something to think about. Maybe it's okay that every other week I focus on only ONE of my goals, as way to keep things manageable, and to help feeling like I'm not doing enough. It's a plan, therefore it's okay. Hmmm. I like it. I shall make it so. Book Ordered those books that my friend recommended. Received the books that my friend recommended. Joined the writers club that my friend recommended. Found out that all of this is something my company will reimburse me for. For which my company will reimburse me. No writing progress, but did some thinkin'. Remodel Everyone has a waiting list. Our first choice was incredibly nice, asked for photos and a description of what we were thinking, and then gave us a very thoughtful rough estimate to make sure we were all on the same page. This outfit was recommended by a neighbor, another neighbor works for them, and they have nothing but glowing yelp reviews calling out the amazing detailed final estimates, clear schedules, high-quality of work, and knowledge and ability which led to time and money savings. We are now on their waitlist for a site visit...in the summer. So, we won't have a detailed estimate for a final decision before then. We decided it was better to wait for the right contractor than to move forward in a hurry. Now we have a LOT of time to start making some nitty-gritty decisions and really narrow down on what we want. So that's actually good, since we take forEVER to make decisions. This is the one area this week where I made the most progress on a goal. Mando No playing this week. I can already feel my gains slipping away. In future bi-weekly busy weeks, the mando will be the one thing I want to focus on. Other stuff Back on Diet Cokes. I blame society. Next week Finish the copy edit. Bonus points for working on structure. Make a couple of decisions for the remodel. Relearn minor chords and keep going with the new tune. Let's go get 'em, Rebels!

Friday, Mar 25 Okie dokie! Went to a really great leadership workshop this week. They mostly talked about how important it is to take time for yourself. Basically, stop flogging yourself to keep going and just stop and take a nap. Or words to that effect. That, along with my new mantra ('don't be afraid of slow progress, be afraid of no progress') got me back on track. Book Had lunch with a published author in my genre who was encouraging and very helpful with concrete thoughts about moving forward. It was great to talk to someone who recognized that my roadblocks aren't about motivation but about technique and structure. Ordered the books she recommended. Addressed more of the nuts-and-bolts stuff in my draft. You know, like, having someone's name to consistent throughout the manuscript, and having it be the same season at the beginning and end of each scene. Stuff like that. I can't say I feel like I'm completely back on track, but I do feel like I've got a refreshed plan. Remodel Fine-tuned the info package with the spousal unit. Made some major design decisions. Contacted my first contractor. I don't know why, but that was really scary for me. They responded! And asked for pics and a quick write-up of what we wanted to do so they could give a very rough ballpark estimate so we could see if we were even in the same league. Pics and write-up provided. Waiting to hear back. They have a waiting list, and wouldn't be able to start until late fall or winter. This is fine with us. Still lots of decisions to make. Wow! This made it feel so...real. Mando Hey! I played some! I restructured my afternoon so that I played earlier. This way, I didn't feel like my commitment to practicing was keeping me out in my office late. Mindset, baby. Started learning a new tune. Which is now running around and around and around in my head on an endless loop. I need to go back and revisit some chords, but my scales are still pretty solid. It felt really good to get back to this. Other stuff Done with the Efudex! DONE! Done, I tell you! I look like I just had a Frankenstein bolt removed from the side of my neck. Still taking my little sugar pills. Emotions starting to feel less random. Also, no Diet Cokes for the last 3 days. Replaced with La Croix and exedrine for the odd headache. Next week Finish the copy edit. Bonus points for working on structure. Make a couple of decisions for the remodel. Relearn minor chords and keep going with the new tune. Okay! Onward!

Friday, Mar 18 I was about to write that I had lots of work stuff and that's why I didn't get anything done on my goals this week, but that's not really why. No. No, I had to admit that to myself. 'Self,' I said to myself, 'Self, what gives?' 'Huh? What? I wasn't paying attention. Could you repeat that?' 'What's up, Self?' I asked again. 'About what?' 'I think you know.' 'I don't know.' 'Well, if you don't know then I'm certainly not going to tell you.' See?? Do you SEE how uncooperative I'm being to myself?? Anyhoo. Nuthin' got done this week. I'm going to blame it on the time change. Book Nada Remodel Nuthin' Mando Zilch Other stuff Week 2 with the efudex done. 1 to go. I want this to be over. Old thoughts surfacing at odd times. From, like, way back when I was seven years old. Unnerving. Next week Attack the novel notes! Call 3 contractors! Create reminders to call those contractors again after a few days when they don't call me back! (Hey, this is Santa Cruz.) Play the mandolin! (If you're sick of learning chords, go find a tune to work on to liven things up.) Back on track next week. This weekend, I just want to pull weeds.

Friday, Mar 11 Fun and busy week! Did some things, didn't do others, but tiny progress on all fronts. Yay for me! Book Created character breakdowns including names, ages, physical descriptions, and relationships. This was necessary because I had trouble deciding how old everyone was. Started the renaming work. Tedious, but gotta get it done. It was overly ambitious to think I was going to be able to knock out ALL those notes in a week. What was I thinking? Don't be afraid of slow progress...be afraid of no progress. I should write that on a sticky. Remodel Shareable packet complete! I'm going to add tables for nitty-gritty decisions, but I don't need that to start reaching out to get bids from my chosen few. Happy with this! Mando First day I didn't practice. Then, I thought...what if I only practice for 10 minutes? I ended up reaching for my mando when I framed it up like that. I only played a couple of times this week, but at least I played. Don't be afraid of slow progress...blah blah blah. Other stuff Week 1 with the efudex done. 2 to go. I just want to cut my hair off to make things easier, but the spousal unit advised against it. Went to see the quack homeopathic doc who changed things up for me. I took the first dose. An hour later, I was so sleepy I had to go take a 2-hour nap. In the middle of the day. It's the next day and now I'm really dizzy. He mentioned that I might experience random fits of rage for the first couple of weeks or so. I warned the spousal unit. So...I guess this is good? Next week Attack the novel notes! Call 3 contractors! Create reminders to call those contractors again after a few days when they don't call me back! (Hey, this is Santa Cruz.) Play the mandolin! (If you're sick of learning chords, go find a tune to work on to liven things up.) Alright! Go get 'em, Rebels!

Friday, Mar 4 Back from vacation! And it was as real one, by golly, with absolutely nothing getting done on any front in any way. I enjoyed my little yard, did things in my little town, took naps when I felt like it, shared a meal or two with friends, and played a little music. Started this week feeling refreshed! Lovely! Book Did a complete and thorough second read of my drafty draft. This time, took detailed notes on basic flaws (timeline, time of year, people's names, repetition, and such as that). I wrote my first draft so long ago that there's a place where my main character stops at the library on her way home from work so she can use a computer. She also looks stuff up in the Yellow Pages. Hilarious! Decided everyone's names needed to be changed, since for the sake of kicking out a sh*tty first draft I just named my characters after people I knew. Doh! Reviewed the write-up I did of my troublesome character, and thought about how I was going to make his actions feel a bit less random. It feels a little like sharpening pencils, but next week I have the goal of clearing the decks of as many of the notes as a can. Moving forward, in any case. Remodel Began the work of pulling everything together to create a shareable and easy-to-read project packet. The goal is to have something crisp to show to contractor prospects so I can get estimates that are as real as possible. Told my mom about what we were planning. It's very interesting to have someone try to talk you out of something because it sounds 'like it will be too hard.' Has that ever happened to you? You're about to embark on something exciting for yourself, and someone points out countless roadblocks with the express purpose of keeping you from doing it? So strange. Note to self: minimize this type of sharing with certain people. 🙂 Mando Doh! Didn't practice. Again. Thought about the Why of this. At the end of the work day, I want to shut off my computer and leave my office. Leaving the mando-ing til then means my work day is done but I'm still here in the office with the computer on. Hmmm. Not sure how to overcome this particular psychological roadblock. Hmmm. Other stuff Is it my imagination, or is the coughing thing a tiny bit better? Skin biopsy was...positive. Argh. Third time in a year. Good thing I like my dermatologist. Started efudex last night. I'm a trained professional and this does not phase me. Next week MANDOLIN PLAYING DAMMIT! Finish remodeling packet! Make decisions about names, seasons, and style! Update what needs updating! Keep on keepin' on, Rebels!

Friday, Feb 18 Some good, some not-so. Book Finished all of the major scene-related notes! Yay! I've got one HUGE character-and-structure note that goes to the heart of the whole book, so still planning how to address that. I met with a friend who had been working on a novel a few years ago to get advice on next-steps. So wonderful! Turns out, she's interested in starting a little 2-person writing club. I reached out to another novelist at my friend's suggestion, to see if she had any next-step thoughts, too. No response yet, but feeling pretty good about being able to find a friendly beta reader when the time comes. The book needs a little rest before I tackle that second bullet up there. I'm in excellent shape for taking a break next week. Remodel All pics organized. Yay! Double-yay! Ready for next steps. Mando Doh! Didn't practice. All that novel-and-remodel progress meant no creative energy left over for music. Double-doh! For my break, considering bringing my mando up to the house, so it will be in my face for the next 10 days. Just can't see myself hoofing it out to my backyard office while on vacay. I think I just made up my mind on that! Thanks, Battle Log! Other stuff Back to Diet Cokes. Looking forward to a no-stress week to shake this latest monkey off my back. Also looking forward to getting my Spring planting done. And going hiking. Or at least taking a walk every day. How did I get so off track in just one week? Kah-razy. Next week Vacation! Giving myself permission to not work on any goals. Yay for me! See you in a bit, Rebels!

Friday, Feb 11 Pretty good week! Book Worked my way through more of my notes. I've only got 4 notes left! I want to take the last week of Feb as a vacation, so I'll be finishing up all the notes a week earlier than planned. I can do this! Remodel Organized most of the inspiration pics, still some to go. I hope to finish up by the end of the day today. But it's beautiful outside...and I want to quit early. So we'll see. Side note: interesting to see how images I captured last year are so different from how we're feeling about things now. Onward! Mando Hey! I practiced! A bunch! Hey! I remembered how to do a G chord...and a C and a D! And a progression! Plus, I learned a couple of chords that I had always had trouble with! Plus, I remembered how to play Soldier's Joy! Yay for me! Other stuff Trimmed back on the Diet Cokes. Trying to work through the brain fog. It's real, oh my. The spousal unit and I sang some songs in the kitchen last night while I made dinner. We haven't had the energy to do that since, oh, March 2020. 😉 Took a small walk almost every day this week. Ended up icing my foot in response, but it was just puffy...no sharp pain. Baby steps. Did I mention that it is a beautiful day today? Next week Keep on keepin' on. Pick one tiny thing from my book list M-F and write it. Finish organizing inspiration pictures. I'd like to have the full packet organized and ready to go by Feb 15. Next mandolin lessons. Work on hand reach and strength. Take all my tiny little pills like a good girl. Walk the straight and narrow, Rebels, and stay strong and true!

Friday, Feb 4 Well, would you look at me? Updating stuff like I said I would. Yay! Book Wrote something everyday, chipping away at the to-do list. Boy, it was tough to get back into living in the book! Once I did though, I entered the zone...and missed the start of three separate meetings. I guess that's a good sign? The new stuff isn't as good as the old stuff, but it was fun to write, and that's the whole point. Remodel Reviewed bathroom needs/wants/features/contents lists and tweaked here and there. Shared with the spousal unit, who I'm sure never looked at it. 😉 Bonus! Started organizing the inspiration pictures. Mando Knocked off work on time and stayed strong and true. Did 20 mins after work, M-Th. Made a conscious decision to not practice on Fridays. I just feel like I really want to get away from my office and enter my weekend world a bit sooner. Working my way through the basics. Have lost a LOT of hand stretch over the years. Doh! Getting excited to see that it's possible to get this stuff back in my head and my hands. Other stuff Started taking my homeopathic stuffs in the morning. You know what? I like taking those little sugar pills. Makes me feel like I'm doing something. Had a crazy reaction a couple of days in with 2 hours of harsh barking cough, markedly similar to the cough I had in Mar 2020. No coffee, but diet cokes instead. The doc said that's fine, but kicking your day off with a caffeinated, artificially-sweetened, carbonated beverage doesn't feel particularly healthy. No. No it doesn't. No siree, Bob. Next week Pick one tiny thing from my book list M-F and write it. Finish organizing inspiration pictures. I'd like to have the full packet organized and ready to go by Feb 15. Next mandolin lessons. Work on hand reach and strength. Take all my tiny little pills like a good girl. Go get 'em, you wonderful little Rebels!

Friday, Jan 28 Update! Did some things and here they are: Book Reviewed my to-do list. That was actually pretty fun, and what I have to do doesn't seem that bad. Feeling more ready to dig in next week. Side note: this would not have been possible if I hadn't prioritized my work calendar. Yay for me! Remodel Reviewed the project statement and tweaked a bit. Reviewed kitchen needs/wants/features/contents lists and tweaked here and there. Mando Knocked off work and stayed strong and true. Did 20 mins after work, M-F. Hard to face how much I've lost over the past couple of years. Hoo boy. Side note: last night I dreamed about fireball mail. Other stuff I went to see a homeopath about my dreadful coughing. Can you believe it? So not me. He spent 90 minutes with me! Wow! My last doc appt was 12 mins long. I'm feeling hopeful about my health for the first time in a looooong while. But I had to quit coffee (not caffeine, just coffee in all its forms). Hilarity ensued. Next week Pick one tiny thing from my book list and write it. Review bathroom needs/wants/features lists. Go over both bathroom & kitchen info with the spousal unit. Keep up with the. mandolining. Take all my tiny little pills like a good girl. See ya next week, you fabulous rebels, you!

GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAALS! Wait. What? It's mid-2022?!? And I'm revising my goals? Holy smokes! Yep. Did a rethink and reset in Sept and am now going out there with new, refreshed, lovely goals. Yay for me for being flexible and knowing when to pivot!! Woo hoooooOOOOOOooooo! I'm awesome!! Go, me!!! Revised goals 1. Eat right and take care of myself Stay on track with the new eating style. Prioritize all health and wellness appointments. Prioritize hiking, camping, outdoor time. Nail the retirement planning thing (financial wellness counts). Hang with friends once in a while, too. 2. At work, I now care about just 2 things Partnerships & Accessibility. That's it. When a niggle arises where I'm tempted to feel ire or weigh-in with my over-heated point of view, I will ask myself 3 things. Will caring about this... Get me hiking and camping more? Strengthen my peer partnerships? Make an impact on accessibility? 3. Keep moving forward on the remodel This takes a surprising amount of energy. We're getting closer but we still haven't finalized the design, we don't have a cabinet order on track, and we don't have a start date. I will be more proactive about following up with the designer. I will reach out to set appointments first. We will continue to move forward on materials decision-making. Let's get 'er done! POWER WORD FOR 2022: Joy! Because there's not enough of this in the world, by golly! All of my goals this year will bring me joy -- both in the progress towards them and in the achievement of them. I've written my power word on the top of my daily to-do list, on my weekly financial check-in sheet, and I wake up thinking the word. Live every day like you just won the lottery! Okie dokie! That's it! Other things may come along throughout the year, and I may have little sub-goals for those, too. But my Big Three are the things I'm putting my creative energy towards this year. Yay! Bring on THE REST of 2022! Let's get 'er done! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OLD GOALS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR 'CAUSE IT'S KINDA COOL TO SEE HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED. 2021 ended with me learning how important it is for me to find time to just freakin' think about nothing. At the beginning of this year I took control of my work calendar and work life, which had been a major source of angst. Now I want to put my shoulders back, turn my face towards the sun, and take some of that creative elbow room out for a spin. I'm going about my goals a bit differently this year. First, I'm only going to post updates on Fridays, to retain some of that hard-won creative elbow room for myself. Next, I feel like I've FINALLY got those life basics pretty well sorted out, so this year I'm going to focus on the things I want to accomplish by the end of the year. And I need a power word--of course! OLD GOALS FOR 2022 1. Finish my book by July 31, 2022 I've got my sh*tty first draft done. I've got my list of improvements itemized. I've got a schedule articulated to get me there. Now I just need to focus, write, edit, review, write some more, get feedback, fix it some more, and kick it out the door. It doesn't have to be perfect, but doing it does need to be fun. I'll update my progress here in my log on Friday mornings. 2. Select and schedule kitchen and bath overhaul with a contractor by Sept 31, 2022 I've got various lists of wants/needs/nice-to-haves. I've got random pictures of styles I like. I've got the dollars saved and set aside. Now I need to pull together a detailed packet, interview people, stay strong and true around scope, and then commit with good faith money and a scheduled start date. So, still lots to do. I'll update my progress here in my log on Friday mornings. 3. Learn to play my mandolin with facility by Dec 31, 2022 'With facility' means that I can kick things off, tag at the end of a song, sing and chop at the same time, and have built a 10-pack of tunes that I feel confident in playing up to speed. Bonus points for being able to take a break in a song and play the melody on the fly. I stopped all learning completely in 2019 and now I'm starting from scratch. I mean, I can't even remember how to form a G chord. I've registered at a wonderful learning site, I have a friend who gives Zoom mando lessons, I've got a private practice space, and I've carved practice time during the week. Now, I just need to Finnegan Begin-again, slowly build up hand strength and flexibility, and stay strong and true. I'll update my progress here in my log on Friday mornings.

Jan 20, 2022 YEAR-END WRAP!! 2021 was another funky year, with health issues all up the yin yang. I made some progress here and there. Let's take a look! I was going to return to the Tai Chi me in 2021-- a time in my life when I felt light-hearted and full of energy. Here's that all went down: 1. The Tai Chi Me and Diet Not bad! Subscribed to Noom in July! Lost 16 pounds! Stayed strong and true with steady-eddy eating most of the time, but learned how to incorporate things I love judiciously. This definitely worked for me! I've come farther than I ever had with just cutting out entire food groups. I never thought that I could be this in control of my diet, and feel this calm around a donut. 😉 A+ 2. The Tai Chi Me and Exercise Got up to walking 4+ miles a day...and then kablooey. Foot injury - boo! Hip pain - boo! Tai Chi, and exercise in general, or even just standing, became a no-go, although I thought about it all the time. All camping put on hold, too, as well, also. Insert sad face here. C 3. The Tai Chi Me and Fun We did have fun! It took the form of long drives along the coast and up into the hills. We rented movies, and put our feet up on the coffee table. We had occasional dinners with friends. So, fun was had, it just came along in a slightly different form. B Power word: Health This was an EXCELLENT word for 2021! I went to the doc and got my foot pain diagnosed. I went to a different doc and got help with my lung issues. I noticed a skin thingy and got that addressed early. If I wasn't feeling up to factory specs I laid down. I feel like I made progress, and learned how to seek out help when I needed it much, much earlier. A+ So, there ya have it! Some good, some not-so, but definitely learned a lot -- how to be resilient, how to find a way around, and how important alone time is for thinking and creativity and balance. All the Tai Chi things. Yay! That's a wrap!

Wed, July 21 Well well well. WELL. Catching up...and then putting updates intentionally on pause (as opposed to mindlessly, like I've been doing). Updates, in no particular order: Went to the doc, got an x-ray, then got an inhaler and other drugs, which I took, which helped, until I started experiencing side effects, so I stopped, and it seems like the ol' lungs are holding steady. Existential despair, which turns out to be a side effect. Doh! Who knew? Getting back on track. Just started Noom, because weight gain also turns out to be a side effect. Double-doh! Walking, stretching, yoga-ing - all now-and-then, all sorta intermittent. Turns out that lack of motivation and general malaise are also (you guessed it) -- side effects. It's fun just to get to write 'malaise.' Got a book on prepping for a remodel and it's hugely helpful. Decided to do the kitchen and bathroom at the same time. Bold. Eating good, drinking less, work is fine, garden looks good and I saw a Cooper's hawk taking a full-on BATH in the bird bath this morning. No kidding, he had his shower cap on and his soap on a rope and he was just splashing around and singing his morning song. So cool. So, some good, some not-so, but the not-so seems to be greatly medication-related. Officially taking a break from updates, though. (Yeah, I know, no updates = break, but I'm trying to hold it together here.) I'll be back in a few months. How can i live without all my little rebels? See you in a bit! Walk the straight and narrow and stay strong and true!

Tues, Feb 2 Night after night of sleepless non-sleep nights. Argh. Plus, the ol' cough is back with a vengeance. Actually said my power word out loud (Health!) and made an appt to see the good doctor. Why fool around? Let's do this thing! Diet - Breakfast - eggs with spinach and bell peppers. - Snack - applesauce (no added sugar). - Lunch - cobb salad, scraped off the cheese. hey...I think the avocados may be doing me no good. dang it. will skip next time. - Dinner - scheduled: grilled chicken breast and ratatouille. Exercise - Morning chi kung and stretching. - 30 minute brisk walk yesterday. Ended up back at the house just drenched in sweat. Sobering. - Raining today. Just as well, 'cause I think I need to rest. You know, just a tad. Fun - Took a little extra time this morning over breakfast and talked about music, learning new things, poems and prayers and promises. Side quests - Update address book - Start planning next steps for the bathroom. Broken down into a few steps: - Make a list of must-have, nice-to-have, and delighters. DONE! - Start researching contractors; narrow to 3. - Call the first one and just see what's what, knowing we probably won't be able to actually do anything for a few months.

Wed, Jan 27 Holy smokes! My oh my how the time has slipped by. Time to catch up! Here's some stuff, in no particular order: Drugs now done. Coughing is much more under control. A couple of episodes, but things that could clearly be tied to behavior. Feeling fatigued, but much much better overall. Eating pretty much all good. Champagne on the 20th. A couple of fish tacos here and there. Otherwise feeling good about this, and can now REALLY see how diet plays a role in the coughing thing. Bio feedback FTW! Exercise currently taking the form of chi kung in the morning, tai chi on the weekends if it's not too cold outside, and lots of walking on gardening days. Always mindful of my power word: Health. Am feeling like I'll be able to have the energy to return to my walking program as soon as it stops raining. Looking forward to it! Fun has taken the form of pretty drives in the hills and along the coast. We decided that when the time changes we're going to go down to the beach to watch the sunset at least twice a week. In the meantime, the urgency to stay away from people and stay safe is keeping us close to home. Oh, and we started watching Parks and Recreation again. 😉 Other stuff: Finally finished all Estate Planning activities. So many little things to do! Created a must-have/nice-to-have list for a bathroom remodel. Okay! All caught uppified! Onward to additional awesomeness!!

Fri, Jan 15 Another sleepless night. What the heck? Last day of drugs was yesterday, so maybe that will help. Diet - Breakfast - eggs with spinach and bell peppers. - Snack - handful of macadamia nuts. - Lunch - 3 fish tacos, no cheese, no sour cream, yes flour tortillas and a few chips. - Dinner - turkey burger and sweet potato fries. Exercise - Morning chi kung and stretching. Fun - Drove over the mountains to take the spousal unit to have his car fixed. On the way back, got off at the summit and took the long way home through the hills. Side quests - Update address book - Start planning next steps for the bathroom. Broken down into a few steps: - Make a list of must-have, nice-to-have, and delighters. - Start researching contractors; narrow to 3. - Call the first one and just see what's what, knowing we probably won't be able to actually do anything for a few months.

Wed, Jan 13 Sleepless night, but up and at 'em bright and early! Did my morning stuff, too! Diet - Breakfast - eggs with spinach and bell peppers. - AM Snack - 2 mandarin oranges. - Lunch - turkey chili and broc. I love a good cook-up. - Dinner - salmon cakes and leftover ratatouille. Exercise - Morning chi kung. Fun - Went to the garden center at lunchtime, just to hang out. - Went for a drive along the cliffs at the end of the day, along with the rest of town. Gorgeous evening! Side quests - Start planning next steps for the bathroom.

Tues, Jan 12 Woke up feeling 100% better this morning. Yay! I think the ratatouille-related comfort food for dinner last night really helped. More please. Diet - Breakfast - eggs with spinach and bell peppers. - AM Snack - 2 pears. - Lunch - fish tacos on flour tortillas (just the fish and tortillas, no cheese er nuthin') and a few tortilla chips. - Dinner - turkey burger lettuce wrap and a few sweet potato fries. Exercise - Whoa. All the medicine-ish stuff, while helping with the coughing and what-not, definitely wreaked havoc on the ol' digestive tract today. - Just did a little stretching. - Note: my new approach to this stuff is, what would I tell someone else if they told me they had been, um, indisposed for most of the day and was wondering if they should still go for their brisk afternoon walk? - Power word moment: Health. Fun - After work I took care of some things that had been on my mind. Felt good! - Played with little Dolly at bedtime. She's learning how to play with a real toy! Side quests - Print evac plan and put in folder. DONE! - Start planning next steps for the bathroom.