To answer question #2 from the previous entry:
1. Family
At the beginning of 2015, I was very frank with Brian, and more importantly very honest with myself, regarding pregnancy. I was 45 until August, and I had to admit to myself that the likelihood of me becoming pregnant was almost nil. My body wasn’t cooperating (I may be premenopausal already), and quite frankly, I don’t blame it for the way I’ve treated it over the years (see #2). Besides, Brian and I not only have each other, but we have the five furkids and Prince Mekhi, our son-by-love. When we married in 1991, our wedding announcement in the paper said that “the couple are planning many children.” We didn’t realize that our children would be four-footed or someone else’s biological child. I recently explained to Mekhi what a blessing he is in our life.
2016:
Brian and I will celebrate our Silver Wedding Anniversary this year, or as we the geeks like to put it: our Mithril Anniversary. Brian and I want a big party, and then I want a second honeymoon because our first honeymoon was one day at Great America. Maybe in Door County, Wisconsin, or a resort/spa on Green Lake, also in Wisconsin. The issue with these plans are financial (see #3).
On a regular basis, I’d like to re-establish game nights with Brian and/or Mekhi, and movie nights with just Brian (Okay, movie nights with Mekhi, too.). Netflix sent us The Descendants back in February, and we still have yet to watch it, making it a very expensive rental. I know Brian will want to attend some concerts, movies, and festivals, but I’ll deal with that under #6.
2. Health
2015 has been yet another year of Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell regarding my weight, and even Brian’s. We are the heaviest we’ve ever been, having not only gained back all the weight we lost in 2012, but adding way to much more. I bought some new clothes in 4X, and I don’t even know Brian’s size any more. My arms are so fat (batwings/arm flab run in my family), I no longer can donate blood because the blood pressure cuffs used by the Red Cross no longer fit. Just looking up when this occurred, it was in November of 2014 that I found this out.
On the good side, because I gave up trying to get pregnant, my doctor could prescribe different medication to treat blood pressure, as well as finally taking medication again to treat my high blood cholesterol. Meds for the latter are considered Class X, and should not be taken while pregnant or trying to get pregnant.
Another good piece of news was the fact that I do not have the PALB2 gene that runs in my family, along with the predisposition for breast cancer. Thus my risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer is the same as the average woman: about 13%.
2016:
I bought a wrist BP cuff, which I have used, and an extra-large arm cuff, which I’ve yet to use. In the new year, I’ll be using both of these more often.
We own a PS2, a PS3, and a PS4 (which Brian needs to set up during our staycation this week). We also own several exercise games for these consoles. Now we just need to use them.
We did take Nina and Nibbler to the Dog Park in Sun Prairie a few times because our dogs need to lose weight, too. We need to do this more often in 2016. He!!, just walking on a regular basis would be a good thing.
Brian and I were talking about meal planning for the future to eat better and save money (see #3), but we’ve tried this in the past without success. So we figured the best thing to do is to clean out our cupboards, and start by planning meals around what we have.
3. Finances
Robert Reich is spot on correct in his videos for Move On.org in which he advocates raising the minimum wage among other progressive financial moves that need to be done to improve the US economy. Unfortunately The Wanker is listening to other idiots at the opposite of the politico-economic scale. Thus, Brian and I are actually making less money than we were when that jerk was first elected. Brian is next in line for a raise at work, when they can give them again (maybe after 2018 if that @$$h0!e doesn’t run again). I keep applying for better paying jobs with no luck.
When the garage and the main bathroom in our house needed roof repairs, we had to go to the Bank of Dad (Brian’s Dad, that is), and that was a horrible situation. We already borrowed our home equity to buy a new (used) caravan, so our only other option was to dig into our retirement fund. Fortunately Dad helped us after some hard feelings and words.
2016:
I already mentioned the big party and vacation I want for our anniversary. Brian also wants to go back to Gen Con, as well as attend Tesla Con, in 2016. I think the only way we’re going to afford all is to go through some of the “stuff” we have, determine what we’re willing to part with, and if it’s worth something, sell it. I’ve yet to present this idea to Brian, so I’ll keep you informed how that goes. I still keep buying lottery tickets, but winning is about as feasible as getting a raise from the Wanker Administration.
4. Creativity
At the beginning of 2015, I was determined to make this year the year that I finally write the next draft of Hirapis I. I completed my volunteer work for Odyssey Con, including instructions on how to do the things that I did, then I resigned from the ConCom as well as the OC Board. Then I completed a lot of the prep work for my last adventure/module in my Ptolus/D&D campaign. I hoped that by clearing my calendar of these, I could spend more time on my novel series.
WRONG!
Thanks to the Wanker, I received another “notice of at-risk for layoff” letter – my second one in my twenty-two years of state service. What time I had freed up was spent trying to find a better job. I did have a few interviews, but no offers. The good news is that enough people in my department retired or resigned, so I didn’t lose my job – yet.
Then came November and NaNoWriMo. I actually started off quite well and wrote 12,135 words. Then I slacked off with some computer games, actual work to do at the Day Job, and the need to find a new auto insurer because our insurer of over twenty-five years decided we were too high risk.
Don’t ask about my websites or any other creative venture. Hirapis was supposed to be my priority, and I already mentioned how much work I did on that.
2016:
My plan for NaNoWriMo was to mine and update the previous drafts to create a nice word count. Unfortunately (as is the case with most of my life’s endeavors) I didn’t follow through. So, that’s the plan for 2016: follow through. Hirapis is going to be my highest creative priority.
If I get the next draft of Hirapis done, then I will work on crafts and my websites.
5. To Do List
Looking on my improved method for the Infinite Master To Do List, most of the items are checked off.
2016:
However, I can do better, and I have a plan for doing more in 2016. See #7.
6. Events
I went to La Crosse and Minnesota for milestone birthday parties. Visited my in-laws and had dinner with my Best Friend Betsy RN MSN a few times each. Brian and I took the puppies to the Bark Park, sometimes with Mekhi. We also went to events for Mekhi at school or at Kicks Unlimited – where he’s learning American Tae Kwon Do.
We didn’t go to Summerfest or the Packers Shareholders Meeting, or other events like that, but we would like to do so again in 2016.
2016:
Big events are planned for the residents of Castle Curley in 2016: our Mithril Anniversary party; Gen Con; Tesla Con, etc. Plus, one of my dearest friends hits the big 5-0 late in the year, and I want to conspire with her best friend to surprise her in a very good way. Plus, we’d like to go back to the Wisconsin State Fair, as well as go back to Summerfest in 2016.
7. House
The house that is Castle Curley is almost a perennial problem as the weight of the denizens of the happiest home on the planet. As happy as we are here, the place is also one of the messiest. While Brian and I don’t fit the technical definition of hoarders, the house is a prime example of CHAOS: Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome. Every weekend, and especially the extended weekends, I have a to do list that is, well, infinite. A billboard on the way into Sun Prairie urged me to “Reclaim Your Weekend” by hiring whatever cleaning company advertised on said board. The problem at Castle Curley isn’t just the mess; it’s the clutter.
Fixing up the house the way we wanted to also is out of the question. See #2: having to borrow money from the Bank of Dad. At the time, Brian explained that when we bought the house ten years ago, we had certain expectations that our income would increase. Now we have a realistic understanding of 21st Century American Economics. The short version (too late) is that we cannot afford to do any of the major renovations we had in mind for the past ten years.
2016:
The priority for the house in 2016 is the Castle Curley Home Organization and Improvements List. On Monday (the 28th) of our end of the year Staycation, during one of the few incidents of the two of us having an argument, Brian and I argued over the number two item that we argue about: housework (Unlike most married couples, we rarely argue about money because our income is such a pittance that it’s not worth an argument. Our #1 “argument” is who got the better deal in our marriage. He thinks it’s him; I know it’s me.).
Back in November, inspired by the hideous time management seminar at my Day Job Statewide Training, I decided that I needed better organization in my life at home and at work. I spent a fair amount of time in November and December at the Day Job taking care of stacks that had piled up in my cubicle(s – I have what I call an “overflow cubicle” for files; a colleague refers to his as an annex), which included sending twenty-seven boxes of files back to the State Record Center, and dealing with some scanning requests made back in December 2014.
For the home organization, I decided that it’s going to take much longer, so I created a list of “areas” or “zones” to tackle, such as the Cleaning Supplies Closet or each of the two junk drawers in the kitchen or the secretary in the foyer or my craft table, work desk, and other areas in my home office. During the argument on Monday, I presented a preliminary proposal of this plan to Brian, and he agreed that it needs to be done. Again, the key will be the follow-through.
8. Delazan Enterprises (if)
The reason why DE was classified as an if for 2015 was that I would get to it if I completed the next draft of Hirapis I. Well, as you read in #4, that didn’t happen, so neither did any work for Delazan Enterprises.
2016:
DE will be an if in 2016 also; however, I may make it more of a priority to help pay for events that are desired in 2016. See above for more details.
Pog ma thoin!
-Lori
“An optimist says it’s going to be a sunny day; a pessimist says it’s going to rain; a realist brings an umbrella just in case, and I keep a small umbrella in my book bag.” – LAC
delazan 