2011: A Year in Review

Here is my goal list from this year:

• Knit or crochet a garment--done

 Now I just need to wear it!

• Establish a business--not done

 I decided not to do this this year, because I didn't figure I would really be making enough money to make it "count" enough. Happily, I've made a tidy sum by the end of this year--like two months' salary! So I'll move this to next year's list.

• Visit Seattle/family--done

Unfortunately, this was one of my first crossed-off items, as I unexpectedly traveled home last January for my dying grandpa. We did get to go again in the fall though.

•  Go to 5 new museums--done

 We changed this goal to just going to five museums. Here's where we went:
American Museum of Natural History (and the brain exhibit)
Intrepid (went for free on Museum Day)
Brooklyn Historical Society
Museum of the Moving Image (SO COOL!! We have
New York Historical Society

• Register for at least one class with AmeriCorps award--done

That money can also be used for Outward Bound, and I found an incredible two-week service project in PATAGONIA, but I don't think I can spare the time or the plane fare. Boo!

• Go to dentist twice--done

• Get new glasses--done

 I wish I'd done this sooner; I love my new frames! I got them at Warby Parker, so the price was extremely reasonable.

• Volunteer at least four times--not done

 Wow, I was lazy this year.

• Donate at least three times--done

 Just in the nick of time! I think I donated a bunch of clothes at the very beginning of last year, and then I counted my sidewalk giveaway, and just today I walked a bag of clothes over to the Goodwill. That bag had been in my closet for months, and then I put it in the trunk of my car, at least two months ago.

The next thing we need to do is textile recycling--for clothes that can't be donated, they can still be used for other industrial purposes. Most of the greenmarkets are a donation site for this, and Goodwill does it also. I have a bag of textiles that's been waiting for months!

Finally, we just bought a new printer. I bought Mister Melancholy a printer back in 2007, which was great up until a few weeks ago, when something went funky with the ink, in that the colors were waaaaay off and there was some kind of leak. Goodwill will take that too, since it still does function in b/w, but they'll recycle it if they can't use it/sell it.

• Count clothes and books--not done

• Bake something new once a month--done

 I have made:
Chocolate cake
Vanilla cake (gross)
Sour cream cupcakes (meh)
Snickerdoodles (yum!)
Strawberry-banana muffins

Oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies

Yellow cake
Blueberry cobbler
Strawberry cobbler

Cucumber soup


















Cookie-dough brownie

Apple crumb
Apple crisp
Peanut-butter-filled chocolate cookies

14 total new things!

• Clean every two weeks--done

 It's a definite improvement and grown-up-ness. We need to some deep cleaning chores more often though, like clean the fridge inside and out. And we need one or two more sets of sheets so we can change them when we aren't able to wash them immediately.

• Drink more water--incomplete

 At the office it's easier sometimes, since we have a water cooler. And since I discovered lemon water (not merely a slice, but like 3/4 of a lemon's juice), I've drunk a bit more water at home.

• Exercise once a week (at least)--done

 Hurray! I haven't seen the kind of results that I'd like, but I do know that that's my fault. I'll be increasing my goal for next year. And happily my knees haven't been too awful this year.

• Blog once a week--not done

 Oh dear. I think months went by without anything at all. I'm glad I did the November daily blog challenge; it's gotten me to think about updates more often and then to actually write them. I have at least three education rants I'd like to write up.

• Post to photoblog more than once a month (total of 13+)--done

 Hurray!

• Send back Netflix movies after three weeks no matter what--not done

 Gah, definite fail on this one. I need to just cancel the discs for awhile and do instant only. We've been watching Felicity, and a bit of old Psych episodes, and I want to re-watch all of Buffy, Angel, Alias, etc.

• Speak more positively about myself--incomplete

 I guess it's a work in progress?

• Host two parties--incomplete

 We did one for my birthday!

• For a week, record everything I eat--done

 I'm still not sure where I should take that and if I should make some kind of goal around eating for next year.

• Go kayaking--not done

 This is a bummer. Ms M and I did try once for the free kayaking at Brooklyn Bridge Park...but the wait was too long and too hot.

• Increase savings account!--done

I think I made it to $10k in my savings, just barely!

• Give charity gifts 

I think this meant give people charity donations as gifts? I didn't do this this year. (I did last year for Christmas. But last year I thought I had more money.) This year I bought some gifts for immediate family, and for everyone else, I did a craft project: homemade robot soap! I bought the glycerine, dye, and various scents, and I found a robot ice cube tray that was too adorable. 

• Go to bed earlier (turn off things by 12 and read for 20-30 minutes)--not done

I am an inveterate nightowl.

• Send birthday cards, on time!--not very done

I sent out a few, but I think they were all late.

• Clear out/organize craft bins--not done

•  Make postcard mosaic--done

They've been up for awhile now--must work on rotating some new ones in!

• Do 31 jumping photos before my birthday--done 

Here are two fun ones for you:

• Hang out with friends regularly; 2x a month invite/initiate--incomplete

•  Read 100 books--done

Final count is 114 for the year.

• Read at least 5 books from top lists--incomplete

I didn't try very hard on this one, but I did end up reading four books from the top 100 children's books list:
The Graveyard Book (Neil Gaiman)
The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Brian Selznick)
Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief (Rick Riordan)
Charlotte's Web (EB White)

• Find and attend photography/small business workshops--not done

 Too poor and  busy.

• 12 clone shots--done

Here's an outtake of one. I was highlighting my new jeans that make my ass look good. The finger-guns clone makes me laugh.

• Buy a wide zoom--done

And hallelujah! Having a wider focal length has made my photo life much better.

• Buy macro filters--done

Look at the cute shots I take with them!

• Do a consultation with a trainer--not done

In theory I was too poor for this? But not really, because even one would have been not very much, and definitely worth it. 

• Use the gym pool once a month--not done

 *********

Our couple goals:

• Roadtrip!--done

We took a short weekend jaunt up to the Berkshires. It was quick, and lovely, and fun! We went bowling, picked apples, explored quaint towns, enjoyed the views along the back roads, and...went to the outlet mall.

• Visit Mister M's parents in Virginia--done

Twice, actually. Once for a day in August (before the hurricane) and then again for Thanksgiving. Both times we drove around looking at neat things. Look at this amazing barn!

• Cook together once a month--not done
• Cook 12 new things--not done

I forgot about both of these. Whoops. We did this twice this year and really enjoyed it, so will make a real effort to complete this goal in 2012. 

• Try one new restaurant a month--done

And yum! Here were some of our favorites:
Enoteca on Court (Cobble Hill)
Hillstone (Midtown East)
Keste Pizzeria (Greenwich Village)
Jack the Horse (Brooklyn Heights)

• Make progress on moving plan--done

 I think we're ready to do it in 2012! That's most of the progress that needed to be made. :)

• Live entertainment every 2 months or 6 total--done

 Success! Here's what we did:
Watson Adventure Soho Chocolate Hunt
Upright Citizens Brigade Valentine's Day Special
Pete Yorn concert
Mike Birbiglia show
Del Close Marathon: Colbert Report writers
(Sara Bareilles--Mister M had to go alone; I had a work trip)
(Haley Bonar--I went alone)
New Yorker Festival
Psych Premiere Fan Appreciation Day
Nutcracker in the Lower
(Porgy and Bess--I went this week with a friend)

• Make new couple friends/see couple friends--incomplete

•  Clean every two weeks--done 

• Go somewhere special for our one-year anniversary--done

 I really meant to post a lot more travel photos from Greece, Virginia, and Crater Lake. Here's a panorama of the lake that made our jaws drop:

• Kitty?!--not done

• Monthly couple portrait--done

This is something that I'd done in the past fairly often, but I realized that there were plenty of times when I didn't make sure we had a nice photo done together, and I wished we had. So I liked having this goal, to purposely take fun photos throughout the year. I tried to have the photos reflect the seasons, to an extent, or to a major holiday or activity. Plus, since I make a calendar of us every year, this made it very simple to create one for 2012!