Cary's 101 goals in 1001 day

Download some digital music

2008-03-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

I'm becoming quite a fan of this one. I've been subscribing to emusic.com at the suggestion of Woodshed from ukulelehunt.com.

It's definitly opening my eye to a new range of music, but it's got enough of the stuff I'm used to, to keep me interested. I'm very happy with the serveice.

The basic package is much cheaper than your average cd, and I get 3 times as many songs...bargain.

Have a webcam chat with my Dad

2008-02-25T06:18:00.001-08:00

Done. Had a chat with Dad on 24/020/08.

It was really good to show off P and his new speaking abilities.

I hope we manage some more.

I also found out that the parents will most likely not be visiting this year, but that they might be willing to fly us out instead. I'm liking that option!

Comment on a blog regularly

2008-02-12T05:37:00.000-08:00

How do I measure this one? I'll just create a link here everytime I post something and I'll work out how 'regularly' I post towards the end of the 1001 days.

No link but I have made and anonymous coward post at the register.
Commented on J's blog.

Give something away on Freecycle

2008-02-12T05:19:00.000-08:00

Gave some boxes away to the same nice Egyptian chap that we gave the beds to when we first moved in. He was helping a friend move back to Egypt.

Have a monthly "Date Night" with D 1/34

2008-02-12T05:10:00.000-08:00

26/02/08: Went to the cinema here in Lancaster. Saw "I Am Legend". It was a really good film and D and I were both propperly scared. Throught the film D kept getting text messages from a friend who lived near by. They got less and less coherent as the film went by. It was obvious that there was a party going on and that we were invited. We agreed that when the film was over we'd try and get and extension from the baby-sitter and pop round for a drink. The sitter agreed.

2 bottles of wine and 3 bottles of bubbly later we stumble home about 3 am. Leave poor A's house in a chaos of crisps and balloon animals. It was a fantastic night and We both agreed that night like that were the reason we moved to Lancaster in the first place. Success!

Watch P for a weekend so D can go away

2008-02-12T05:05:00.000-08:00

This one is in the works as we speak...

I'm trying to get D some tickets to see 'Making Your Mind Up' the UK's Eurovision Decider show. They opened up registration for tickets this morning at 3am, and I applied by 7 so hopefully I managed to get the three tickets I wanted, D +2. The plan is for them to stay at a friends flat in London. Would make a great prequel to the Eurovision trip in May...again, if I can manage to get tickets for that. That would definitly qualify as completion for this task, but it's all dependent on the tickets. Fingers crossed.

UPDATE: 25/02/08
Well, this kinda fell through...didn't manage to get tickets at all. Bummer, but the lineup for the night looks crap anyway.

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

2008-01-20T07:23:00.000-08:00

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

Replace vestibule light
Re-seal Bathtub
Re-seal Kitchen Sink
Re-seal front door.
Replace dimmer switch in living loom.
Sand and repaint metal gates.
Replace lamp shades in living room.
Fix/replace door knobs on first floor.
Paint Pete's room
~~Paint kitchen~~
Insulate toilet tank to prevent condensation.
Replace bathroom mirror
Fix shed door.
Pressure wash back yard
~~Remove remaining tree stumps.~~
Clean loft hatch windows.
Fix drawer on TV stand.
Replace missing screw on kick-plate between living room and vestibule.
Replace plug on the washing machine
Replace electrical outlet in the kitchen.
~~Deep clean bathroom ceiling, remove mildew stains, paint if necessasary.~~
Clean bathroom extractor fan.

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

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

Become a British Citizen

2008-01-16T02:45:00.000-08:00

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.

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

2008-01-14T05:48:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-11T10:05:00.000-08:00

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

Meditate every day for a week
~~Practice the ukulele every day for 2 weeks.~~
Learn a new programming language.
Start a website
Go to the Theatre
See a panto
Watch Pete for a weekend so D can go away.
Have a monthly "Date Night" with Dawn. 1/34
Fast for a day
Meditate twice a week for a month
Make a blog post a week for 2 months.
~~Have a webcam chat with my Dad~~.
Send Flowers to D.
Register a Domain Name
Download some digital music
Fly a kite.
Potty Train Pete.
~~Give something away on Freecycle~~
Sell something I've made on Ebay
Make some homebrew Wine.
Spend £100 pounds on clothes in one go.
Take Dawn on Holiday.
Have a conversation in a foreign language.
Join the Gregson.
Watch a movie at the Gregson.
See Dawn Dance.
Make a toy for Pete
Make a plaque for Crichton and Katcha's baby.
Give Blood!!!
Do yoga once a week for 2 months.
Ride my bike to work for 3 months.
Take a packed lunch to work every day for 2 months.
Buy an album for a band/artist I've never heard of.
Go to a gig.
Do some freelance work.
Buy a video game.
No caffeine for 2 weeks.
Sew something
Learn to cook 15 new dishes.
~~Post this list on my soon to be created blog.~~
Do some volunteer work
Set up a workflow for contacts, tasks, notes, etc. and use it!
Comment on a blog regularly.
Make 3 batches of Jam.
Make 3 batches of Chutney.
Write a restaurant review.
Have a boardgame night.
Do some volunteer work.
Handwrite a letter.
Make a recipe book.
Carve Something out of wood.
Write a 55, http://www.uknet.com/gallery/55-Fiction/55_G
Practice some survival skills.
Start using Linux at home.
Start a new family tradition.
Read a book by Salman Rushdi.
Finish reading a book that D Recomends.
Feed the ducks with P.
Put together a memory book about Mom.
Pratice the guitar everynight for 2 weeks.
Buy a survival knife and firelighter.
Climb 3 big hills.
Go rock climbing.
Give up alcohol for 3 months.
Stockpile at least 3 welldone/bad day gifts for D.
Wear Nail Polish to a party.
Join a Wine Makers Circle.
Get an allotment.
Grow loofah sponges as gifts.
Make something from Instructables.com that interests me.
Write and Instructables.com article
Join Greenpeace or Friends of the Earth and participate in at least one campaign/action.
Pay for Car Tax with Post Office Savings Stamps.
Compile a DVD of videos of P to send to family members!
Practice taking photographs, sell some photos to www.istockphoto.com
Be able to do 50 pushups in under 5 minutes.
Be able to do 50 situps in under 5 minutess.
Become a British Citizen
Build up an emergency fund of 1 month's salary
Write a letter to P once a month. 0/34
Take a dance class with D.
Take our baby sitters (K, T, B, and S) out for dinner to say thanks for all the pro-bono baby sitting.
Watch a play in Williamson's park/Ashton Memorial
Build a small cob oven.
Take fencing lessons.
Bind a book
Make a list of household things to fix and fix 50% of them.
Make wheatgrain/buckwheat hull/rice stuffed warming cushions as gifts.
Send D on holiday
Look at Google reader API and Google desktop SDK, I want to write a Google Desktop plugin for Google reader.
Sort out a retirement plan
Invenst £100 in Premium Bonds