Resolution Check-In

One would think I'd have done this is June at the six-month mark, but alas, you get it late. Still, let's see if I've accomplished anything in the last 8 months.

1. Write more...I've not been inspired at all this last year and I'd like to finally get something accomplished. Even if that's just a simple article on a hike. 

Well, I wrote a paragraph that could be the start to a novel. And I've blogged. But I wouldn't say this is going well at all. 

2. Be climbing 5.8s regularly. John thinks I should make my goal 5.9s since I already do 5.6s (mostly) clean and just did two 5.7s this week. But I'm being realistic. There's plenty of skills I need to develop in these higher climbs (hello crazy lunge I did Monday!) and I know 5.8 is more what I can accomplish.That's not to say i don't think I'll be doing some 5.9s by the end of the year, I just don't think I'll be doing them well. 

I just did my first 5.8 this past week. I've been doing 5.7s and some go well some suck, though I have finished every attempt. So I've been wanting to feel a little more comfortable before taking the next leap up. Then John challenged me so I tried an 8. It was really hard and I slipped twice, but I got to the top. I'll probably still stay at 7s for awhile, with 8s sprinkled in. So we'll see where I am by January.  


3.Go on an overnight backpacking trip. We talked about this a lot last spring/summer and never actually did it. We stuck to day-hikes. So, it's time. 

Did this! Read about it here. We had a second 2-nighter all planned. The it was 110+ degrees so we decided not to go at the last minute. It's was probably a good idea to cancel, but I'm still sad. We've been unable to reschedule. Maybe in October?


4. Stop buying bread, bagels, buns, ect. I don't know if I'll be able to make ALL my own bread products as sometimes I get lazy and just want to run to the store and buy hamburger buns. I do want to make a good effort though. I've already made 2 loaves! I love my bread machine :) 

We still buy buns but I haven't bought sandwich bread. Still perfecting a few recipes. Just made rosemary basil white bread with herbs direct from the garden - big success. Not too 100% store-bought bread free, but having fun with it.

5. Try at least 3 new things (physical activity, food, hairstyle...whatever)...3 seems like a pretty low number for this, so hopefully I exceed the goal. But if I end up breaking my leg snowboarding (new thing #1!) and end up on crutches for months, I want to be able to still meet that goal. (go me and my optimism!) And I have recently done rock climbing and eaten Vegemite, so even though those happened at the end of 2011 I feel like it's part of the be adventurous goal, so I've gotten a head start.

 I probably have food-wise, but I don't know what I've done. Did go hiking in the snow. Tried some new beers. And that's all I can think of right now. But I'm sure I'm doing ok here. Oh wait! I shot a gun! That counts as a huge new thing. Go me!


6. Stop eating at chain restaurants. The only reason we do is that we're too lazy to cook or are on the road and not willing to drive a little longer to find something better. If we go out it should be to a good restaurant that's unique and appealing. there's no reason to eat at Applebees. It's really not good, wastes money, ect. 

Not doing as good as I'd like, but it has become less. Really need to just stop going out all together.  

7. Summit a mountain. Maybe it's cheating since this is something I do just about every year, but here it is. It might be Old Rag again, which I know I can do. Or it'll be something wild like Mt. Rainer or Pike's Peak...depending on where we decide to go on vacation.

Went to the highest peak east of the Mississipi while in Asheville, but we drove so it doesn't really count. Done a bunch of hikes but not sure there were summits. Work on this is Sept/Oct. Or cry. 


8. Activate Mission East Coast Exile. That means we'll either move to Colorado, at least actively make plans to make said move in the next few years, or decide to move elsewhere. As long as we get some better plans in place we don't actually have to leave yet, there's more to figure out still.

We've been talking about this a lot the last few weeks but aren't much closer to a plan. It'll likely be a few more years because we're trying to be realistic.  

9. Raise a pig. And by this we're actually going to give John's uncle a pig to raise, but we're building the shelter, the pig, and all food.We'll take care of it when we visit, but Uncle Glen will do the daily grunt work. Or we may scrap the whole pig idea and just get chickens. But we want to do something farm-y. 

So not happening. Need to get some land of our own as John's uncle is no fun. 

10. Have a pig roast. This will likely be at John's sister's wedding. Which is pretty much the best idea for a wedding reception ever...other than my own ideas, anyway. 

Sort of did this for the wedding. There was a pig roast, but the caterers took care of it. We'd like to do something ourselves. Likely won't happen this year. So we give this one a half done?