December 21, 2004

Holy candy canes! Another year's gotten away from me. My annual two months of working my ass off is about to give way to a future of constantly working my ass off, something I haven't done since my first year of self-employment. I'm terribly excited to once again give focus to my frantic energy.

So, in honor of the closing year, newly refreshed from my first really long, scrubby shower in weeks, I've decided to take a little break from working and indulge in my favorite holiday ritual: taking stock, cursing my terrible sloth in the passing year, and asserting my certain astonishing productivity in the coming year.

The yardstick of my current lamentation and future promise, of course, is my annual Überlist. I'm only 4 items away from finally achieving Brenda status (on the 90210 annual success scale), yippee! Although, really, it's more like 5 or 6, because I was overly generous in giving myself credit for a couple items. After striking out completed items and then color-coding the remainder as (brown) simply not happening, (red) unlikely, or (blue) actually doable, I now believe there is a distinct possibility that I will finally break through the glass ceiling of Kellydom.

Unfortunately, I've only got 3 more days left in my practical year, as I'm spending Christmas in Houston and the tween/New Year in Seattle. And in my little available time span, I already have an assload of non-Überlist obligations to meet. But now that I'm squeaky clean and all hopped up on caffeine, I'm feeling very optimistic.

My 2005 list, which I haven't touched since Suzanne and I drove back from Kansas City last fall, will be heavy with money-making, moving, and New-Life-in-Kansas-related items. I still can't believe I'm actually getting to live in an old school building. I've had dreams about moving to the sticks for years, and I've had a fantasy about living in a school building that dates back to first grade (what kind of nerd fantasizes about living in a school, anyway?). I will, however, desperately miss these 70° December days....

Otherwise, my new Master Plan meets all my life needs: modulated hermitdom; social interaction with artfags, nerds & weirdoes; a broad creative outlet; tons of cooking; a fabulous environment, both structurally & naturally; a source of income that doesn't involve working for the man; and a non-traditional, romantic domestic living arrangement. It's brilliant. More on my Master Plan after we close, but in the meantime, wanna see my schools? (There are actually two more on the way, but let's speak of them another time, so I won't sound like a complete maniac.)

And go buy one of my engagement calendars right now. They're fabulous, appropriate for either sex, built by yours truly, and only $16. And if you write "I'm a fluffy bunny and I love to eat my carrots" in the special instructions/notes area when you check out, I'll give you some free towels. (You have to write it when you order; emailing me later that you forgot won't work.) Hoppy Holidays!

10.31.04