My Year of Meaningful (2011)

In my endeavour to "take work more seriously" I've come up with a strategy.

- More lists (daily tasks to complete, checklists of shit that needs to get done before 5pm, etc)

- More emailing/blogging from home

- Starting fresh with new jobs and cleaning up the old ones to get that clean slate I'm looking for

- Starting the MSc course I was talking about

- Get shit done, in general.

I'm finding the best strategy is just to do more mucking around (i.e. cleaning out my mp3 files, sorting through photos, etc) at home so that I can do more work, in the office. Instead of the other way around. Last year I was bringing the laptop home and working to make up for the goof off time I'd been doing at the office. Now anyone with an IQ higher than mine can figure out that's just backwards.

Making lists and schedules for my daily tasks is helping. And giving myself allotted blocks of time to do x,y, and z also helps.

I will not, however, stop being a good emailer to my friends though! Hell now this is going to be one hell of a challenge. The Podge sent me the sweetest email ever saying

So now I have even MORE inspiration and the motivation I need to put my plan into action - I just need to get my scheduling down to a science. I can do it, I'm tough shit.

In these last minutes though of my allotted blogging time, I'll just say that overall the xmas/new year holiday left me with way too many photos... I have a huge task ahead of me. But I should add some highlights now.

In doggy news, we have been walking the beasts every day since the new year. In an effort to get Grandpa Reggie back into shape, he goes swimming (4 laps) and on a walk, every day. He's doing really well. Now that Sech is officially "mine", he's gone to boot camp a la Me. I'm not taking any of his crap anymore and he knows it. Ever since we got back he's been more mellow (last male hormones probably working themselves out of his system after the pre-xmas-ball-chopping). Vocal "conversations" are only allowed outside, and jumping on me or the Mr. gets his ass kicked out the backdoor before he can blink one of those crazy yellow eyes. The result is that he's learned 3 new commands in 1 day (the dog is crazy, but not dumb), has been trained to get into the truck (which would have at one time resulted in total drama and near-death experiences) when asked, and he's walking on a leash now with perfection. Sits at my heel when I pull the leash, and doesn't even THINK of getting up until I give the okay. We're getting there.

Now for some photos:

In order, that's:

1. Opening presents with Alan and the Mr. on xmas day. Alan is sitting in his new camping chair that we got him... now he finally has "gear".

2. My red-nosed reindog

3. Xmas breakfast with champagne and OJ & the dutchies

4. We got matching socks from the inlaws that say "I love my beagle"

I am so excited about February. I really can't wait. One month from today I will be hanging out with my best Irish buddies and having a blast. I just know it. It's like my christmas is coming a month (and a bit) late this year... and I also see a bit of a "payback" element to their trip too. Like I didn't have enough fun on this last break (~ahem~ annoying dutch guest ~cough~ ahem~), and I get a chance to make that up when Podgey and Marshy come down with their respective missuses.