Make a list of household things to fix and fix 50% of them.

This is the definitive list of things what need fixing around Castle Corse. If anyone can think of anything else just let me know.

Don't sweat the Small Stuff

1. Replace vestibule light
2. Re-seal Bathtub
3. Re-seal Kitchen Sink
4. Re-seal front door.
5. Replace dimmer switch in living loom.
6. Sand and repaint metal gates.
7. Replace lamp shades in living room.
8. Fix/replace door knobs on first floor.
9. Paint Pete's room
10. Paint kitchen
11. Insulate toilet tank to prevent condensation.
12. Replace bathroom mirror
13. Fix shed door.
14. Pressure wash back yard
15. Remove remaining tree stumps.
16. Clean loft hatch windows.
17. Fix drawer on TV stand.
18. Replace missing screw on kick-plate between living room and vestibule.
19. Replace plug on the washing machine
20. Replace electrical outlet in the kitchen.
21. Deep clean bathroom ceiling, remove mildew stains, paint if necessasary.
22. Clean bathroom extractor fan.
    

Oh my god, this is gonna be expensive (These count as 4 tasks each at least)

1. Replace ceiling in the living room.
2. Replace bathroom suite
3. Erect fence around back garden.
4. Replace handrail on back steps.
5. Repair bathroom floor and re-tile.
6. Replace ceiling in P's room.
   

Become a British Citizen

This one kinda seems self explanatory to me. I've been living in the United Kingdom since 2000. My beautiful wife is from Lancaster...my little boy was born in Penrith. I've found my home and my people. Everyone always looks at me with surprise when I say I'd rather be here than the States. To each his own I guess, but this is home now.

Becoming a citizen is an expensive proposition however. At the time of writing the fee was £575. That's a bit steep for a one income family with a child. My wife is back at University and I'm the sole bread winner. I'd like to have my citizenship sorted out before I need to renew my American Passport in 2011, cuz I hear that's a real pain overseas. Sooo if you'd like to help, I accept paypal donations.

All adsense revenue from this blog will also be going to the Cary's Citizenship Campaign Fund.

Practice the ukulele every day for 2 weeks. 14/14 days

Dawn bought a Ukulele for someone for their birthday a about a year and a half ago. They were on offer at the local music shop and being a quirky and thoughtful gift giver she thought a Uke would be the perfect gift. So perfect in fact she bought two!

The strange part is that when she brought them home, boxed and bagged, very excited about her clever birthday purchase and asked me to guess what she'd bought the first thing that popped in my head was 'Ukulele.' Dawn was floored, and we still think it's strange to this day. I mean I hadn't even seen the bag yet! Weird.

Anyway, she gave the spare one to me and I strummed it a little bit. I was actually pretty good. Pete was still pretty young, and was only sitting up and not crawling, so I had a captive audience. I look up some songs on the 'net and taught Dawn how to pick 'Happy Birthday' in honour of her friends big day.

Unfortunately, new parenthood prevented me from keeping up with it. So, this task is to get me back on the ukulele horse again. 20 minutes of practice everyday for 2 weeks as a minimum. Progress will be measured in terms of scales and songs memorized and in playable condition. Bonus street cred for playing in public.

UPDATE: I'm currently working throught the online lessons on Pineapple Pete's Uke School.

UPDATE: 12/02/08: I've worked through all the online lessons and I'm pretty confident now. Learning loads of new chords all the time and I'm amassing a substantial collection of tableture. I've set up a folder of stuff to work through, popular songs and a few exercises and scale sheets. I'm even getting more confidate at tuning by ear, using a pitch pipe instead of an electric tuner. It's working out pretty well. D is starting to roll her eyes a lot when I pick the uke up now, so that means I've definitly been spending a lot of time on it. I think she's mainly annoyed because it means when she's lying on the couch reading, I'll be playing my uke rather than rubbing her feet.
I'm delcaring the two weeks completed, but it's not going to stop here...I think i've formed the habit now.


Scales: 0/??

Songs: 1/6
Happy Birthday (Memorized)
God Save the Queen
Morning Has Broken
Scarborough Fayre
Hit Baby One More Time
Dream a Little Dream

Performances: 0/?? (I'm not sure how this one is going to work out actually)

101 things to do in 1001 days

101 things to do in 1001 days

http://www.triplux.com/dayzero/default.asp

My start date is the 14th of January 2008. Completion date is the 11th of October 2010

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).


The List:

3/101 Completed

1. Meditate every day for a week
2. Practice the ukulele every day for 2 weeks.
3. Learn a new programming language.
4. Start a website
5. Go to the Theatre
6. See a panto
7. Watch Pete for a weekend so D can go away.
8. Have a monthly "Date Night" with Dawn. 1/34
   
9. Fast for a day
10. Meditate twice a week for a month
11. Make a blog post a week for 2 months.
12. Have a webcam chat with my Dad.
13. Send Flowers to D.
14. Register a Domain Name
15. Download some digital music
16. Fly a kite.
17. Potty Train Pete.
18. Give something away on Freecycle
19. Sell something I've made on Ebay
20. Make some homebrew Wine.
21. Spend £100 pounds on clothes in one go.
22. Take Dawn on Holiday.
23. Have a conversation in a foreign language.
24. Join the Gregson.
25. Watch a movie at the Gregson.
26. See Dawn Dance.
27. Make a toy for Pete
28. Make a plaque for Crichton and Katcha's baby.
29. Give Blood!!!
30. Do yoga once a week for 2 months.
31. Ride my bike to work for 3 months.
32. Take a packed lunch to work every day for 2 months.
33. Buy an album for a band/artist I've never heard of.
34. Go to a gig.
35. Do some freelance work.
36. Buy a video game.
37. No caffeine for 2 weeks.
38. Sew something
39. Learn to cook 15 new dishes.
40. Post this list on my soon to be created blog.
41. Do some volunteer work
42. Set up a workflow for contacts, tasks, notes, etc. and use it!
43. Comment on a blog regularly.
44. Make 3 batches of Jam.
45. Make 3 batches of Chutney.
    
46. Write a restaurant review.
47. Have a boardgame night.
48. Do some volunteer work.
49. Handwrite a letter.
50. Make a recipe book.
51. Carve Something out of wood.
52. Write a 55, http://www.uknet.com/gallery/55-Fiction/55_G
53. Practice some survival skills.
54. Start using Linux at home.
55. Start a new family tradition.
56. Read a book by Salman Rushdi.
57. Finish reading a book that D Recomends.
58. Feed the ducks with P.
59. Put together a memory book about Mom.
60. Pratice the guitar everynight for 2 weeks.
61. Buy a survival knife and firelighter.
62. Climb 3 big hills.
63. Go rock climbing.
64. Give up alcohol for 3 months.
65. Stockpile at least 3 welldone/bad day gifts for D.
66. Wear Nail Polish to a party.
67. Join a Wine Makers Circle.
68. Get an allotment.
69. Grow loofah sponges as gifts.
70. Make something from Instructables.com that interests me.
71. Write and Instructables.com article
    
72. Join Greenpeace or Friends of the Earth and participate in at least one campaign/action.
73. Pay for Car Tax with Post Office Savings Stamps.
74. Compile a DVD of videos of P to send to family members!
75. Practice taking photographs, sell some photos to www.istockphoto.com
76. Be able to do 50 pushups in under 5 minutes.
77. Be able to do 50 situps in under 5 minutess.
78. Become a British Citizen
79. Build up an emergency fund of 1 month's salary
80. Write a letter to P once a month. 0/34
    
81. Take a dance class with D.
82. Take our baby sitters (K, T, B, and S) out for dinner to say thanks for all the pro-bono baby sitting.
83. Watch a play in Williamson's park/Ashton Memorial
84. Build a small cob oven.
85. Take fencing lessons.
86. Bind a book
87. Make a list of household things to fix and fix 50% of them.
88. Make wheatgrain/buckwheat hull/rice stuffed warming cushions as gifts.
89. Send D on holiday
90. Look at Google reader API and Google desktop SDK, I want to write a Google Desktop plugin for Google reader.
91. Sort out a retirement plan
92. Invenst £100 in Premium Bonds