I seriously suck at resolutions.
Not that I can't get things done, but the "starting on Jan 1" thing gets me. I can sit down any old day, make a list of stuff and get going on the tasks (one thing I learned as a project manager is "there's no time like the present") where some people would just consider making the list enough for the time being.

But in the spirit of things, here is my current to-do list (some ongoing, some scheduled for a later date and some starting today) – also included in this list is some justification (or rationalization if you are feeling holier than thou):

Moleskine
Uploaded on March 25, 2007 by Cunning Stunt
All rights reserved

1. Keep Bunnycat feeling good and happy for as long as it is possible. [ongoing]
19 months and counting.
She has good days and bad days, but the good days still far outweigh the bad. She eats, poops, stomps on my head in my sleep and generally is the high point of my day… every day.
So shall it remain…
Also, I try to keep things in perspective… when I catch myself doing all the Bunnycat maintenance work and losing sight of enjoying her being here, I stop and then sit down and make time to focus on her. I don't want the last part of her life to be all about sub-q fluids or doses of medicine…  I want it to be recognizing that she is comfy and warm, ear noogies and her knowing that she is the absolute center of my universe.

2. get out of debt [ongoing]
This is crucial to my "build my tiny home" plan…(see #9 ) as well as the traveling that I want to do.
I pound the debt hard, but I am not forgetting to live in the meantime.
It will happen.

3. More financial things [ongoing]
No specifics here, sorry. I have some ideas around mostly savings and tiny bit of investing, but a little bit to diversify… I still hate the stock market with a white hot passion and all those delusional assholes who helped to create the past 2 years of hell.
But this "living on the interest" idea will require a lot of moola… so I'll be investing $52 in the lotto this year. Hopefully one of those tickets will pay off nicely ;)

5. Back on the protein wagon, also the walking thing.
Lots of roadblocks last year regarding exercise, but I have rearranged some things (literally and figuratively) to help get back on the walking kick. Also, must get back in shape for the traveling I plan to do (see #6 ) when Bunnycat doesn't need me anymore.

6. Travel plans together and prepped for:

• Cotswolds Way
• Bhutan
• Virginia section of the AT

These won't happen for a while, and I don't begrudge the Bunnycat for needing me in any way, shape or form, but I can get the pesky planning details in place with my darling cat near me now.
I like the organizing part as well as the actual traveling part.

7. Clear out more stuff.
I say this every year, and I do clear out stuff… but I tend to bring in stuff as well.
Some of it useful, some of it insanity driven. (To be fair, I am getting better at returning some of the stuff that is insanity driven) also am purging some stuff I have held onto for many, many years.
I will never be able to do the minimalist thing, but I can at least try to keep the stuff that matters and not live in an overstuffed house.
(Oooh…and now I have an idea about organizing those activities that require some tools, but that I don't want to have out all the time… create custom work areas in old suitcases (and filing cabinets are soooo 2009..) so that I can stack them and not see all the crap but still have a nifty stack of old suitcases which I dig anyway. Donations are welcome.)

8. Recover my Project Manager Brain.
It got lost somewhere in the fray and is probably covered in dust buffaloes right now.
Pretty much the trauma of Bunny's  diagnosis, the half-assed coping I did for the eventual gaping maw of gone-ness of her after her kidneys decide enough is enough and the amount of stuff I have on a daily basis to do, I gave up trying to be organized, reading and most social activities. I can still tie my own shoes, but that is a dodgy thing most days as well.
Its time to be able to remember shit now instead of losing important things in the chaos.
Brain and self discipline: consider yourselves on notice.

9. Build my tiny home [ongoing]
I'll need some land, to be out of debt, to have an income (see also #3) that isn't contingent on me being in one location 5 of 7 days a week, plans that I like for the house, mostly off the grid capability and…well, I need to learn how to build it myself.
This is a multi-year task as you can well imagine…. but sometimes it keeps me going.

10. Knitting things [ongoing]

• I will finish those *&^%@*&# socks
• I want to wrap my tiny little brain around entrelac… I suspect its a "have faith" thing, like Indy when he stepped off onto the stone bridge… but we shall see.

Oh, I'm sure there are lots more things on my to do list, but these are the major things right now.
Good enough.

…and now I am off to rearrange my closet some and purge some shoes from my banking days.
(seriously, fuck bank dress codes.) ]]> http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/resolutions-hmmm/feed/ 0 fredlet http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/2009-bunnycat/ http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/2009-bunnycat/#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 06:00:39 +0000 fredlet http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/2009-bunnycat/ ]]>

To get you through the night…
]]> http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/2009-bunnycat/feed/ 1 fredlet http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/i-heart-vacation/ http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/i-heart-vacation/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 07:29:18 +0000 fredlet http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/i-heart-vacation/ ]]>

Seriously.
Sleep, more sleep, then a nap for good measure, good food, walkies, leisurely coffee, random outfits that make no fashion sense….what's not to love?

I just wish Bunny wasn't so unstable right now.
(we have a vet appointment next MON morning, I'll keep you posted.)
]]> http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/i-heart-vacation/feed/ 0 fredlet http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/a-bit-of-a-gray-day-on-the-hayward-shoreline-trail/ http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/a-bit-of-a-gray-day-on-the-hayward-shoreline-trail/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 07:19:06 +0000 fredlet http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/a-bit-of-a-gray-day-on-the-hayward-shoreline-trail/ ]]>

Turkey Day 2009 Debacle, originally uploaded by fredlet.

The Pumpkin Pie That Tex Actually Likes
* 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 2 cups canned pumpkin, pureed
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
* 1 cup manufacturing cream
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
* 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
* 1 pie dough
* Whipped cream, for topping

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pie dough down into a souffle dish and press down along the bottom and all sides. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla and spices if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for an hour, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

(Using Paula Deen's recipe.)

Finished green sweater!, originally uploaded by lectio.

]]> http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/one-of-the-worlds-most-awesome-sweaters/feed/ 0 fredlet http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/27/bunneh/ http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/27/bunneh/#comments Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:25:36 +0000 fredlet http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/27/bunneh/ ]]>

]]> http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/27/bunneh/feed/ 1 fredlet http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/24/happy-holidays/ http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/24/happy-holidays/#comments Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:14:50 +0000 fredlet http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/24/happy-holidays/ ]]>

So Bunny wasn't doing so well earlier this week (she's doing better now) but as usual I freak out in about .00001 seconds, so i couldn't do much else for beyond what I had done AND it was the solstice, so we opened prezzies to distract me.

Here's some of the haul:

• An  iPod set of speakers
• A travel towel (in the guise of a yoga towel:better colors)
• A yarn bowl for feeding it out without the skein going everywhere from Etsy
• and  a Polaroid Pogo (in a BuiltNY GPS cover) that I can print pics from my Centro ;)

Also got a nifty ceramic berry bowl (below:its the blue and white thing in the sea of KitchenAid red stuff) that I have been using incessantly since I got it:

also got a bag from Mom (Sussex leather tote-one just like hers that I have been coveting for a few years.) and some nifty amber jewelry from Meme… more prezzies are on their way I hear as well ;)

What did you get? ]]> http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/24/excellent-solstice-geek-haul/feed/ 0 fredlet http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/the-thanksgiving-without-an-oven-or-pie/ http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/the-thanksgiving-without-an-oven-or-pie/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:33:21 +0000 fredlet http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/the-thanksgiving-without-an-oven-or-pie/ ]]>

(Just for the record I will never ever ever buy a Kitchen Aid stove now. Useless. Unreliable. POS.)
I'll try not to let this turn into a rant…and will add photos when my SD card from my fancy camera gets found again. Sigh.

So, turkey day.
It actually was 'turkey' day this year. Normally I do cornish game hens as I hate dried out roast turkey (and even those folks who fancy themselves fabulous turkey roasters are kidding themselves… its dry, baby.) but we managed to find a small enough turkey to fit into the rotisserie. I can't even tell you how good my freakin' Ronco rotisserie is….yum.

That was about the only thing that worked in my opinion (Timmy and Tex will vouch otherwise.) but the oven went up to temperature for about 45 minutes then stopped going above pilot lite level.

My cornbread looked like hell… dried out dough.

My veggies fared better (acorn squash, roast veg plate) but didn't really get to that settled in yumminess that I like about roasting things.

I had to finish everything in a tiny microwave/convection oven and while they cook stuff, they don't roast or make it taste the way I want it to taste.
Grr.

So we had turkey (which was marvelous) mostly roasted veg, mashed sweet potatoes (rewarmed in the little oven), acorn squash with corn souffle… and no pie.

Well there was pie, but I didn't get any.

Tex was bitching about how he hates pumpkin pie so I thought to myself, "Self, let's make a pumpkin pie" because I am mean that way.
Actually, that isn't the whole story, what he said in total was "I hate pumpkin pie. But once they roasted a pumpkin and made it into a pie and I loved it."
Aha.

So he doesn't like pumpkin pie mix….I don't much either, but people at work had been eating pumpkin pie for the last three weeks and I kinda wanted my 1-slice-in-every-10-years slice. As the intarweb is my reference library, I googled pumpkin pie and cream cheese (because I was thinking something with a bit of creaminess and more toward a cheesecake might be good.) then I bought pumpkin puree at Whole Foods and went after it.

Using Paula Deen's recipe as a basis for the filling (my actual recipe below) I put it in my standard pie crust …and the first tiny snip tasted good but it took so long to cook the fucker in the tiny excuse for a convection oven that I had to leave when it was just coming out of the oven to get home to Bunnycat…and that was ALL I got until the following week where I actually got more of the pie.
Yay.

The Pumpkin Pie That Tex Actually Likes
    *  1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
    * 2 cups canned pumpkin, pureed
    * 3/4 cup sugar
    * 1/4 teaspoon salt
    * 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
    * 1 cup manufacturing cream
    * 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
    * 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
    * 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
    * 1  pie dough
    * Whipped cream, for topping

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pie dough down into a souffle dish and press down along the bottom and all sides. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla and spices if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for an hour, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream. ]]> http://fredlet.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/the-thanksgiving-without-an-oven-or-pie/feed/ 0 fredlet