Resolutions Report

I only have 1-2 days left (depending on how you stretch it) before my New Year's Resolutions deadline, and I haven't been doing very well. Really, I'm shocked. Well, okay, I'm a little surprised, although 'shock' may be stretching nearly as far as that '2 days left' thing.

But I have a VERY GOOD EXCUSE*. (I am, perhaps, better at excuses than I am at any other activity, but we'll let that pass for now... this really was a good excuse)

So far, here's how I'm doing:

#1: Ha! Got this one licked! Didn't even start. Yay, me. We'll break this one again next week, just for fun.

#2: I actually did weave an overlooked end on a sock that I had finished in early December. The other ends had already been woven in, so obviously this lone end was an oversight - I noticed it yesterday when I was peering at it intensely, trying to remember which sized needle I had been using, in order to knit its twin. Does that count? I have otherwise been cavalier about end-weaving, and have NOT woven in the ends on my many UFO's.

Heck, I haven't even managed to *find* all my critical UFO's - the dreaded Iron Aran Sweater of Doom, which I have been knitting for the Pirate for several years now, has not as yet been unearthed from The Basket's lower depths. I'm a little bit afraid of what I might find there, actually... and what I'm *not* going to find there (the pattern for the IASD, and the notes for the changes I was making to the pattern for the IASD, for instance).

I am ignoring my (more important) projects in favor of obsessive knitting of socks. I've got a good excuse for that, too... my poor mom's ankle incisions are torturing her, and she doesn't have socks that are soft enough or wide enough for her poor swollen ankle and foot. I must make very very soft socks for the invalid. Suggestions welcome (see 'comments' board... and while you're there, vote on whether the Forgotten End Sock counts as a UFO).

#3: So far I've been unaided in my occasional brief stabs at Housekeeping (mostly consisting of one bout of toilet scrubbing, accompanied by unflattering comments regarding the UnFair Sex). But I can't rest on my laurels; tomorrow is Cleaning Day, so we'll see if we can maintain our record in this category. The Pirate was so happy with the results of the Pre-Susan cleanup that he threatened me with regular cleaning assistance. But he may have been full of Christmas Spirits at the time, and he's had a couple weeks in which to regain his sanity - so I still have high hopes.

#4: Not even a squeak of ambition in the direction of the back yard. I think this one's a gimme...

#5: Poverty has prevented me from weakness in this area... but even though the Pirate's paycheck (which came in today) won't come anywhere near catching us up, and we are still going to be subsisting on eggs and pasta if the money owed me doesn't show up soon (if one more person tells me how lucky I am to be working independently from home, I'm going to break their nose), I may manage to buy something at the LYS down the street within the deadline... remember those socks for my mom. See what I mean about being good at (finding) excuses?

#6: Tree still up and decorated. What's the chances that it'll come down this weekend? Another vote: if the Pirate *does* take this down (it got in his way yesterday while he was on some quest or other), does that count as 'helping with cleaning'?

#7: Budget? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA *snort*

#8: Really, stop... my stomach hurts, and the Vampire is bound to come in and ask why I am sitting out here giggling hysterically to myself, and I'm pretty sure that telling him would skew the results.

#9: Oh, this one was too easy. I broke it somewhere around 3 minutes after I wrote it. Just a few minutes ago the Vampire was muttering vile threats under his breath because he'd finished his schoolwork early, and was rewarded by my assigning him the task of unearthing his Calculus text and doing a couple chapters of that. The search alone will keep him busy for an hour. I can't help myself...

#10: I don't know if there's been a day this week when I *haven't* broken this one. I'm old and creaky and out of shape, and I have nerve damage in one leg; why, then, can't I learn not to perch cross-legged on any available surface, when I KNOW it inevitably leads to disaster? Why can't I learn to look where I'm going? It's a mystery, and part of my charm (I'm very entertaining, as long as it's not *you* that I'm tripping over, bumping into, or falling against).

Well, now that I'm looking at the report, it's not as bad as I thought. My mistake was in thinking that this was going to be too easy. Obviously it's going to be a challenge to break *all* of my resolutions in the remaining day or two, but I'm ready to give it my best. Keep your fingers crossed for me.


* the excuse is that my paychecks managed to be 'lost' somewhere in the system last month, which also happened to be the month that my dad and sister both celebrate their birthdays AND the month in which Christmas (with all its necessary gift and/or food and wine giving, decorating needs - trees are expensive now - and guest entertainment costs) happens to fall. We consequently apologize to various Utility and other companies who haven't gotten their expected payment... but if it makes you all feel better, we've been living primarily on eggs, pasta, and cheese products for the last two weeks. For those of you who are paying attention, this 'diet' does help me with one of my Resolution issues. It hasn't been so helpful for my waistline (where did it go? I know I saw it around here a few years ago) or my... plumbing. 'Nuff said.