1. Lose seventeen more pounds, bringing my weight down to 185 pounds, which was my high school pole vaulting weight.
After a weekend of “eating our way through Vermont” (my wife’s words), I find that I have gained one pound and now need to lose eighteen pounds by the end of the year.
2. Complete CHICKEN SHACK by my birthday.
It’s going to be tough, but I think there’s a decent shot that I can complete the novel while on February vacation, during which my birthday coincides.
3. Eat three servings of oatmeal a week in order to reduce my cholesterol.
Success! I had three servings during three of the weeks and four servings during the final week of January.
4. Try liver.
Not yet.
5. Publish an Op-Ed in a national newspaper.
Work on this cannot begin until my current manuscript is complete.
6. Participate in The Moth as a storyteller, at a live show or on their radio broadcast.
The Moth ignored my first pitch, so I’ll have to wait until I’m finished CHICKEN SHACK before preparing another one. I’m quite annoyed.
7. Complete the rock opera.
The first draft is done, and we had our first reading in December. There’s much to do in order to revise it, and I have continued to pick at it daily. It’s currently in the hands of a local theater director. We’re waiting to hear what he thinks.
8. Read at least six novels that were published in 2010.
None yet, but I picked up Heidi Durrow’s debut novel, THE GIRL WHO FELL FROM THE SKY, while in Chester, Vermont this past weekend, and it’s official publication date isn’t until February 16. So it qualifies as a 2010 novel. I’ll begin reading soon.
9. Organize my basement.
Summer project.
10. Learn to use Dreamweaver with reasonable skill.
Another post-CHICKEN SHACK project.
11. Land at least one paying client for my fledgling life coach business.
Yeah… how do I go about doing that again?
12. Go to at least twelve movies this year, continuing to debunk the myth that the parents of newborns are no longer able to go out to the movies.
Two down, ten to go after a double-feature of Up in the Air and The Blind Side in mid-January.
13. Rid Elysha and myself of all education debt before the end of the year.
Funding not yet available.
14. Replace the twelve ancient windows on the first and second floor of the house with more energy efficient ones.
Funding not yet available.
15. Make one mortgage payment from poker profits.
I’ve earned a little over $200 this month, which is a good start considering the limited time that I have had to play.
16. Post my progress in terms of these resolutions on this blog on the first day of every month.
Done.
