My brush with greatness, Jim Everett edition . . . or how I made it through my first golf tournament.

Today I played in my first golf tournament. It turned out to be a lot of fun. My friend Lynne is a pretty good golfer, and I actually played the second best of the ladies in our foursome. I've been working on chipping and pitching, and I made some good short shots and decent putts today.

The one group behind us with a foursome with some golf pro and former NFL QB, Jim Everett - they won the tournament. I actually met Everett at the Forum Club during an LA Kings game back in the early '90s - but that is a story for another day. Today, the extent of my conversation with Jim was the following - Me - "yo - is this your Titleist 1 ball?" Jim - "no, we thought it belonged to you guys". Me - "Hey, I see you guys eyeing my hot pink Flying Lady ball." Jim - "no way - it's all your's."

Actually, our group was pretty slow, and they were very cool about it. So the bottom line is that all my fear and fretting was for naught, and I am excited about continuing to work on my game.

My brush with greatness, Rick Dees version

In 1979, Liz, Tracy and I were waiting in line in Liz's Volvo to get on the ferry to take us from the Balboa peninsula to Balboa Island. I can only imagine what we were listening to on the 8-Track tape player, but My Sharona or something from Born to Run are good guesses.

The car ahead of us was a "kit" car - a pseudo sports car that you ordered as some sort of kit, and built yourself. The personalized license plate . . . "HUNKER". As we watched, the man in the car got out and went to talk to the women in the car ahead of him - he was wearing a smokin' hot KHJ radio black satin jacket. After a few minutes he came back and leaned in our car and told us that he had hooked up with the women in the car ahead, and he was going to move his car to park it, and get in their car. The man? KHJ DJ Rick Dees. Why he thought he owed us an explanation, I have no idea. Maybe he just wanted some other person to know he was gettin' lucky.

Such a nice surprise!

I just got a call from the gal who runs the local pub's football pool and found out that I tied for the most wins for the whole season (I'm probably the only one who played every week, but I digress . . . ) and my half of the winnings for the progressive pool is $277!!! This will go into my vacation fund coffee can, to be emptied in 3 weeks when I go to Yellowstone! Now I'm off to play 9 holes of golf with my brother, in anticipation of the tournament on Monday. Will my luck hold out? Here's hoping so!

There is a saying that a tired dog is a good dog . . . since I've been walking more, so have the girls. This is how Hanna spent Thursday evening. But what the photos don't convey is the window rattling snoring.

In 1986, I was lucky enough to spend the summer working in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. I lived in an old building - it was built in the 1500's as Spanish Officer’s quarters. It was run in 1986 as an art gallery and boarding house. My mom still has the oil portrait that a young artist also staying there painted of me that summer.

One of the benefits of working in Puerto Rico is the number of Saint’s Days and holidays that are observed, one of which is St. John the Baptist Day. On this day, at midnight, people walk backward into the sea, and dunk below water three times. This ritual is performed to wash away the year's sins and ensure good luck for the following year.

On St. John the Baptist Day in 1986, my friend from school and I traveled by plane, after work, to Culebra - a small island off the coast of PR. We had befriended some people that had small planes and traveled frequently to Culebra, Vieques, and the Virgin Islands. There was an old truck at the landing strip (it wasn’t much of an airport - there was no tower), and we went to the beach house this family owned on Culebra. A bit before midnight we all headed out to a lonely beach. There was an old deserted WWII tank on the beach - both Culebra and Vieques were used as target practice by the military, and to this day, the occasional kid is blown up by some old unexploded mortar.

At midnight, we all held hands and walked into the Caribbean backwards, then dunked three times. After spending more time hanging out on the beach, swimming and drinking (needless to say), we headed back to the house in the truck - which promptly ran out of gas. One of the fellas managed to hitch a ride to the air strip to syphon some gas from the plane for the truck - it worked, and early the next morning we flew back to PR, and I went back to work . . .

This is an annual ritual in PR, even though a few Ricans drown every year celebrating St. John the Baptist Day.

My horoscope for today is:

"It's time to recharge, regenerate and reconnect with your body and the earth. Make hiking or a yoga class a regular part of your schedule. Once you find your center, everything will fall into place."

This is just the advice I'm happy to receive these days. I've been making a real effort to get off my tush and move. I've been walking many miles, hitting the gym some, and even made it to another yoga class yesterday. I feel great, and between the activity and Nutrisystem, I have lost 6 lbs. this year. And with all the walking, I am burning through books on tape on my iPod - right now I am on an Agatha Christie kick. If I was coordinated enough to knit while I walked, I'd be a completely contented woman. . . .

How much is Madge paying ABC to get Guy out of the house?

English director Guy Ritchie is venturing into television with "Suspects," an ABC drama pilot that he will direct and executive produce. "Suspects" is a procedural crime drama that tells the story of each suspect in a recently committed crime until the truth about which one of them committed the crime is revealed.

Ritchie is best known for writing and directing "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch," as well as the infamous remake of "Swept Away," starring his wife, Madonna.

This is exactly the kind of show I like, and I will state unequivocally, right now, that Suspect will totally suck. Maybe Guy used up all his talent on Snatch and Lock, Stock. Maybe Madonna has sucked all the life blood out of him. Or maybe he is a one trick pony, but there is zero chance that this show will be watchable.

I got to sleep in until 9 today . . .

Well, except for getting up at 1:45, 3:30, 4:45 and 7. Please allow me to explain. I made two mistakes yesterday - I'm sure I made more - buying the coconut coffee creamer comes to mind - but two really stand out. The first was buying a Dentabone for Hanna, that claimed it would last a big dog up to an hour. Now, a dead cow wouldn't last a full hour with Hanna, but I was hopeful it would keep her occupied for some period of time - it did. It also gave her the runs, as I found out at 1:45 when she started barking for me to take her out. I grabbed my Uggs, put on a sweater, didn't bother with glasses, and we went out. Same thing happened at 4:45. At 7, I did add my glasses and had some lonely guy hitting on me, trying to talk about the weather, but before my first cup of coffee, I am not overly receptive to conversation. (The intervening getting up at 3:30 was due to 5 young guys standing outside my window discussing all the girls they met that night after having a late night breakfast at the local diner. They were polite when I asked them to keep it down, and left shortly thereafter. )

Oh, and my other mistake - and I know better - was putting potato peels down the kitchen sink - guaranteed to stop it up. I did manage to clear it with a plunger and some drain cleaner though. And I am looking forward to chicken curry tonight made yesterday in the crock pot. I read in my "gourmet" slow cooker cookbook that slow cooker food is better the second day, and I have found this to be true. It seems to give the flavors the chance to meld and intensify.

For some sad, sad reason, I am pleased with myself for watching very little tv yesterday. My only viewing was an episode of Inspector Morse on PBS's Mystery Series. I spent the earlier part of the evening knitting (I have started a cardigan - this will be my first attempt at buttonholes), and listening to "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie.

Now, Sunday lies before me . . . and the girls and I are heading out for a walk. Have a great day!

I came to realize a few months back that my 7 iron was missing from my golf bag. My immediate reaction was paranoia - that someone had stolen my favorite club. When a modicum of rationality came into play, I realized I'd likely left it at the final hole the last time I had golfed when I had chipped onto the green with it, and then set it down to putt. So I went on eBay to find a replacement club, which I bought and put into my bag.

Today I went and had a golf lesson - using my 7 iron to practice - and the teaching pro couldn't figure out why my posture was so bent over - he and I are about the same height. So we pull out my 5 iron to compare - rather than being an inch shorter, the 7 iron was about 5 inches shorter. Apparently, the seller on eBay neglected to mention it was a club made for little people - really little people . . .

Two of my favorite shows started their new seasons tonight -
Monk and Psych.

Andy Richter guest starred on Monk's season premiere as a bad, bad man who befriends Monk. Monk is very excited to have a new BFF, and doesn't see his new friend's ulterior motives. Tony Shalhoub is still great as Monk, and I'm still sold on this show after three seasons.



Psych is kind of silly, but also pretty good fun. Dule Hill, from the West Wing, plays the nerdy side kick Gus to Shaun Spencer (James Roday), who's highly tuned powers of observation allow him to obtain enough information while investigating crimes to convince others that he is psychic.





Today I spoke to the folks at Environmental Adventures to confirm my travel itinerary to Montana. She said the temperature has varied from the 30s to 20 below. She asked if I've ever seen heat packs that you can put in your gloves and boots to keep your hands and feet warm . . . I found some on the internet and ordered twenty. There about a dozen of us in the group, and include people from all over the U.S., and a couple of people from Ireland.

I have a golf lesson at 9:30 tomorrow morning. . . wish me luck . . . otherwise, I don't have much planned for the weekend, and I'm very happy about this. Possible time consumers include: getting some exercise, getting a manicure/pedicure, finishing the Parrot sweater (I just need to add the neck band), cleaning out my closets, pruning my roses, and cooking Chicken Curry in the crock pot.

The unthinkable has happened . . .

My war cry when it comes to my hair appointments - which are set 6 weeks in advance - is that I miss the appointment for no man. Today, I had to cancel my appointment for tomorrow morning because I have too much work to get out, and everybody else working on this project is either off tomorrow or out of town skiing. The next available appointment is January 30 - that means 11 extra days of dark roots.

I am not happy about this . . .

Meet the new Fudd, the same as the old Fudd . . .

I have been reduced to Elmer Fudd's level in my attempt to rid my kitchen of those rascally rodents. The first 2 were easy . . . but I was being thwarted by the third beastie, which was managing to lick the peanut butter off the outside of the electronic mouse trap without going inside . . . until last night. I have also learned that this is the order of preference for eating the produce in the fruit bowl on the counter:

1. pears
2. apples
3. tomatoes (eat the pulp and leave the skin)
4. potatoes

I know I shouldn't be leaving produce out, but how else will the pears ripen? Not that I got to eat any of them. I will tip my hat to the meeses on this point - they will stick with one piece of fruit per night, and eat a big chunk, rather than eating a little bit of each.

So, in summary, after being pretty rodent free for a couple of weeks, I have caught 3 in the last 4 days. That reminds me - time to load up on more batteries.

The Golden Globes are boring as hell, so I'm lying in bed reading the Gilded Moose, and listening to the mouse I'm trying to catch knocking over dishes in the sink. Fingers crossed I properly smeared peanut butter on the Victor electronic mouse trap . . .

You know it's a boring awards show when you switch channels to watch the second hour of "McBride" - the John Laroquette mystery show on the Hallmark channel - instead. The good news is that Diagnosis Murder is on next.

And seriously, those were the highlights of Beatty's career? Dick Tracy? Yeah, he was pretty in Splendor in the Grass, but that was 45 years ago.

Calgon, take me away . . .

(me, on the porch of the cabana I shared with my niece in Belize in March, 2006)

The Chargers lost yesterday, after being favored to beat the Pats. Dropped balls, dumb penalties, and stupid mistakes did them in. It was VERY disappointing . . .

I went to the driving range yesterday to work on my golf swing in anticipation of the upcoming charity tournament - it's not hopeless, but pretty close. I signed up for a refresher lesson next Saturday. . .

The mouse hunt continues . . . after catching a mouse 2 nights in a row with the Victor electronic mouse trap, I was foiled last night by a mouse who managed to lick off the peanut butter without entering the trap . . .

The weather continues to be very cold overnight. Now I realize these complaints may fall on deaf ears to those living in colder climes, but keep in mind, your homes are built for colder weather. My house was built on 1949 as a summer beach shack without any insulation . . . ok, now my whining is bugging even me, and Noodles is on my lap letting me warm my hands on her . . .

The office is open today, but I'm going to work from home . . .

Happy Monday, all!

GO BOLTS!!!!!!!

San Diego Super Chargers,San Diego Chargers!San Diego Super Chargers,San Diego Chargers!Charge!
We're coming your way,We're gonna dazzle you with our super play.The time has come,You know we're shooting for number one.With thunderbolts and lightningWe'll light up the sky,We'll give it all we've got, and moreWith the Super Charger try!
San Diego Super Chargers,San Diego Chargers!San Diego Super Chargers,San Diego Chargers!Charge!
We've got a plan,We're gonna do it for our super fans.All we seek,Is the goal line to victory.We'll ignite you, excite youWith high voltage play.We won't let up a minute,We're going all the way - all the way!
San Diego Super Chargers,San Diego Chargers!San Diego Super Chargers,San Diego Chargers!Charge!
We're coming your wayWith the Super Chargers' play.We're coming at you.Now we're coming through!
San Diego Super Chargers,San Diego Chargers!San Diego Super Chargers,San Diego Chargers!Charge!

Auntie Diane's Helpful Household Tip for Sunday, January 15, 2007:

On mornings when the temperature hits the low '30's, after you load up the Crock Pot for Sunday dinner, go ahead and warm your hands by placing them around the base of the slow cooker.

If you don't have a Crock Pot, a small dog makes an acceptable hand warming substitute.

I'm making good progress on my Parrot sweater. Although it is currently way too long for say, Britney Spears, I'd like to add another 8 - 10 inches of length.

And while I'm knitting and watching football (go Ravens!), Hanna is making quick work of her new rawhide chew toy.

I have written before about my recent problems with rodents, and about my solution. Last night as I was lay in bed, I could hear something on the counter, knocking things over . . . nice, huh? I got up and found some droppings along the back of the counter, so I moved the electronic rat trap to that path. I heard noises off and on through the night, but when I got up about 7 am this morning, the green light was blinking, and there was a rodent inside - dead. Disposal was easy, but I'm not sure if it was a big mouse, or a small rat.

One down, but there are bound to be others.

Addendum - my kitchen counter has become the official killing fields of So Cal - another mouse was in the Victor trap this morning . . .

Idaho gov calls for wolf kill

Idaho's governor said Thursday he will support public hunts to kill all but 100 of the state's gray wolves after the federal government strips them of protection under the Endangered Species Act. Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter told The Associated Press that he wants hunters to kill about 550 gray wolves. That would leave about 100 wolves, or 10 packs, according to a population estimate by state wildlife officials. The 100 surviving wolves would be the minimum before the animals could again be considered endangered.

"I'm prepared to bid for that first ticket to shoot a wolf myself," Otter said earlier Thursday during a rally of about 300 hunters.

Otter complained that wolves are rapidly killing elk and other animals essential to Idaho's multimillion-dollar hunting industry. The hunters, many wearing camouflage clothing and blaze-orange caps, applauded wildly during his comments. Suzanne Stone, a spokeswoman for the advocacy group Defenders of Wildlife in Boise, said Otter's proposal would return wolves to the verge of eradication. "Essentially he has confirmed our worst fears for the state of Idaho: That this would be a political rather than a biological management of the wolf population," Stone said. "There's no economic or ecological reason for maintaining such low numbers. It's simple persecution."

You can take action here to protest this slaughter.

In honor of David Beckham coming to the Los Angeles Galaxy, I am re-posting this - my only football/soccer story - from June 10, 2006:

Ah, the World Cup. My only in person football experience was in 1982, in Edinburgh, Scotland. My friend Jan and I were working our way through the "Pubs of Edinburgh" book, and met 3 nice Scottish lads. The boys invited us to join them the following night to see the "Hearts" play the "Hibs" - the two rival Edinburgh teams.

Unbeknownst to us until we met them the next night at another local pub, we would be rooting for the Hearts. I'd grown up going to Rams' and Angels' games, and was unprepared for Scottish football. To enter the stadium, each team's fans enter from opposite sides of the stadium, and approach via never intersecting streets, thus, hopefully avoiding any interaction. The attendees - at least in the cheap seats - are 99% male. There are no bathrooms provided for women - there are only outhouses for the men, most of whom actually just pee against the outside of the outhouse.

We got our tickets and went in - we were located behind one goal - in standing only bleachers. Everybody stands for the entire match, and with the stomping and chanting, the bleachers never stop moving. Done in thick Scottish accents, the chants were largely unintelligible to Jan and me, so it was really unnecessary for our escorts to keep apologizing. Final score - Hibs 1, Hearts 0. The headlines the next day spoke of rioting, but we really didn't notice anything amiss. The night ended at a very small pub on Cockburn Street where Davey gave me his Hearts scarf, and a live band played Bob Marley's "No woman, no cry" - one of my favorite songs. The next day, our Scottish History professor inquired as to which team we'd been rooting for at the game. He approved of our Hearts affiliation. "'Tis good," he said, "I won't have Hibs fans in my class."

What have I done????

A friend and I signed up to participate in a charity "best ball" golf tournament on January 29 - wish me luck, and if you need me between now and then, I'll be at the the driving range.

Downward facing dog . . .

I went to my first yoga class in about 2 years tonight . . . I liked the instructor alot, and will go back for more of her classes. I did ok with the poses, and I know I will feel it in my old bones and muscles tomorrow. Of course, my favorite part of the class is the last five minutes when you lie still in the dark and almost fall asleep.

Do I dare go back?

A few years ago, I ventured into the world of internet dating, both through Yahoo personal ads and Matchmaker.com. I have friends who met their spouses on Match.com, and those ads for eHarmony sure sound good, but my experiences were generally a little less successful. I did meet some nice guys, but there are a lot of strange people online too. Frankly, I just don't have the energy any more to go out on that many bad first dates. I can't tell you how many times I thought to myself "damn, I could be home on the couch watching tv with the dogs right now . . ." The date that finally put me over the top was the following:

"Bob" seemed like a nice enough fellow. From what I knew, he was divorced, with 2 grown kids, 40-ish, geographically desirable, reasonably successful, self-employed, active etc. We exchanged emails and photos, and decided to meet at a place near the beach for a drink one evening. The night before, we spoke on the phone, and he casually said to me - "I told you I'm an amputee, right?" Me - "ummm, no, how did you lose your limb?" Him - "On the day I was discharged from the army during the Vietnam war, I was driving with a friend and rolled my VW, and they had to amputate my leg." Me - doing some quick math - "Well, unless you were discharged from the army when you were 6, you're a bit older than you claim." Him - laughing - "oh yeah, I find that women in their 30's don't want to meet someone in his '50s, so I carve a few years off my age."

Needless to say, this date was not getting off on the right foot (pun intended), but I figured he would be easy to spot at the bar. We met for a drink the next evening and here are some of the highlights - the photo he'd emailed me was about 15 years old. He was indeed missing a leg, and walked on crutches. This made it difficult for him to grab my ass as we walked through the restaurant, but he managed. Better yet, although he'd been sober for 15 years, now that he was single and mingling, he'd started drinking again. He suggested our next date should be a day at the beach, but I could never figure out how to transport him across the sand on crutches. We didn't go out again.

These days, I figure if I'm meant to meet someone, it will be on the golf course, on an expedition, while hiking, or just generally doing something I enjoy. But every once in awhile I wonder if Mr. Right is just an email away . . .

CAN ANYONE TELL ME HOW TO PLACE PHOTOS THROUGHOUT A POST, RATHER THAN JUST AT THE BEGINNING??????

MUCHAS GRACIAS!

The Parrot Sweater, in progress.

I have finished the left arm, and hope to finish the right arm this weekend. Nothing beats watching NFL football and knitting - at least for me!

Scotty came to visit today. My handyman came by to fix my tub and brought his yellow lab, Scotty. He and his family adopted Scotty 2 years ago from Labrador Retriever Rescue, and he is a very sweet dog. Hanna isn't usually terribly interested in playing, but her and Scotty were chasing each other all over the house this morning. The added benefit is that she is warn out and napping now.

The new wall color in my bedroom - Green Tea - I'm very happy with it!

Auntie Diane's Helpful Household Hint for January 5, 2007 -

When your wine in the box seems to be losing flow (Auntie Diane recommends Target's chardonnay!), open the box and wring out the bag inside to get every last drop.

The best news I've heard today . . .

From the AP -

Democrats push for Alaska drilling ban

"Opponents of oil drilling in an Alaskan wildlife refuge are going on the offense after playing defense for a quarter of a century. They want the new Democratic Congress to make an oft-challenged drilling ban permanent. Legislation introduced in the House on Friday would make the oil-rich 1.2 million-acre coastal strip of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a permanently protected wilderness and end repeated efforts to open the area east of the Prudhoe oil field to energy companies. "The consensus is that there should not be drilling in the refuge, so the logical next step is to pass legislation which turns it into a wilderness," Rep. Edward Markey (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., chief sponsor of the legislation, said in an interview.

Markey has introduced similar legislation in each of the last three congressional sessions. However, the House has approved drilling in the refuge a half dozen times, only to see the effort die in the Senate were supporters couldn't muster the 60 votes to overcome a likely filibuster.
This time, with Democrats in the majority and a number of moderate Republicans on record as opposed to drilling, Markey believe he has a good chance in the House to go one step farther and declare the refuge permanently off-limits to oil development.

A co-sponsor of the bill is Rep. Jim Ramstad (news, bio, voting record), R-Minn."

Besides the petty joy I would get from yet another of the items on Bush's "to-do" list being defeated, I think protecting our remaining wilderness and wildlife is truly important.

When will this week be over?

I have been working long enough to have learned a few lessons - get things done early so that there is not a last minute rush that ends up causing mistakes and frustration. I rarely have to supervise someone else, but on a complicated project, I have been given that task. Unfortunately, the woman I am supervising is exactly the opposite - nothing gets done until the last minute, and she glosses over issues that should have been addressed. I am trying to maintain a zen-like calm, without much luck.

Maybe the Beck CD Sea Change will help . . .

Last night I watched two promising new sitcoms on ABC - The Knights of Prosperity and In Case of Emergency.

Knights is produced by David Letterman and, oddly enough, Mick Jagger. Jagger also guest starred in a send up of his rich, rock star image. The premise is that some average joes in Queens decide to rob Mick to earn enough money to pursue their dreams (they also each pick a charity to donate any excess to). The characters are quirky and likable, and the writing was pretty good - I'll tune in again.

Also new last night, was In Case of Emergency, starring David Arquette, Jonathan Silverman and Greg Germann. It involves 3 guys and a gal who all attended the same high school, and the messes they have made of their lives 20 years later. The title refers to the dilemma that single adults face - who to list as a contact in case of emergency? This show is produced and (I think) directed and/or written by Jon Favreau. It also seems worth a second look.

Resolutions 2007 Update, Day 4 . . .

(Nanners and me on Xmas day)

Day 3 of Nutrisystem - I have dropped a couple of lbs., and I have to say that the food is better than I expected.

Books Read 2007 - I have begun 2 new books - Lonesome Dove on audio, and Simisola by Ruth Rendell. Lonesome Dove (about 36 hours of listening) is one of my top 5 favorite books of all time. When Larry McMurtry is good (e.g., Lonesome Dove and The Last Picture Show) he is spectacular. Other times, some of his books feel rushed or just get too darn silly. I love the print version, and also admire the TV Movie starring Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall, but have never before listened to the audio version.

Paint/decorate my bedroom - the room is about half painted ""Green Tea" - and I am very pleased with the color. I bought some new blinds and new curtains too! (photo to follow soon).

Floss every day - 4 days and counting.

Today's Orange County Register has an article about the lost art of taxidermy (pictured to the left is a practitioner and one of his subjects).

My memories of visiting my grandfather's house as a young girl are filled with dead, stuffed animals, particularly birds. My grandpa was an avid duck hunter, and for some odd reason, liked to decorate the house with lots of stuffed birds. The one that stands out most vividly to me was hung from the ceiling, right by the front door, so that it would move with the breeze. It was a stuffed hawk, clutching in its talons a dead, baby rabbit. The added touch that sent it over the top? Red nail polish on the talons to simulate the poor dead bunny's blood. (Million Dollar Red would be my best guess). I do believe that at some point, gramp's collection was donated to a natural history exhibit at UC Irvine, though I have never checked out that bit of the family lore. Perhaps if I ever snare that rascally rat that is haunting me, I'll have it stuffed as a warning to other varmints . . . red nail polish, optional.

Happy New Year!!!! My New Year's Resolutions for 2007, in no particular order:

1. Floss every day
2. Create and live within a reasonable budget
3. Run a 5k and a 10k
4. Improve my Spanish
5. Travel somewhere new (I hope to go on a walking tour of the Berkshires in the fall)
6. Start work on a novel
7. Visit NYC (I may be able to combine 6 and 7 by attending a Mystery Writing workshop in NYC)
8. Clean out and organize my closets
9. Paint/decorate my bedroom (this one is already moving forward - my brother is helping me paint my bedroom - the winning color was "Green Tea")
10. Organize my record keeping
11. Use up (at least some of) my yarn stash (before I started the Parrot on Acid/Deadhead sweater, I did start a sweater from my "stash")
12. Learn to play a musical instrument (my friend Mike is going to re-string my guitar)
13. Apply to grad school to get a Masters Degree in Library Science (I have a not so secret wish to become a librarian).
14. Knit for charity
15. Lose (and keep off) 10 lbs., and exercise regularly (I'm starting Nutrisystem tomorrow)
16. Plant my side yard with native vegetation and get it certified as a Backyard Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation

Other things on my ever expanding to do list include:

Work on my obsessive compulsive need to make lists

Read the Bible (I have a "One Year Bible" that breaks up the Old and New Testaments, Psalms and Proverbs into 365 daily readings - I bought this as a to do for 1999 - you know, just in case the world really was going to end at Y2K I figured it wouldn't hurt to get a leg up, and have yet to get past February . . .)

Read/listen to 75 books - I made my goal of 72 books last year - actually read/listened to 75 books - and hope to do this again

Do yoga

Expand my business sources and relationships (I did make some headway on this in December . . .)

Organize my photographs

Learn more about how to best invest my savings

Learn sign language

Become more knowledgeable on environmental issues

Volunteer my time

Teach Nanners to not get dishes out of the sink and off the counter