2016 Resolutions and stuff

[game_byrd]

I've been thinking about my 2016 goals off and on for a month now. It's been difficult, because I'm very happy with where I'm at right now. If I can just have a repeat of 2015, then everything is awesome. But I want some goals to move towards. Here's what I've settled on in the last few days:

Fitness

• Keep my weight where it is now, 125-130 lbs. If I seem to be adding muscle, then I could go up a little, but I want to stay in this clothing size. I like the size and shape of my body.
• Keep my fitness level roughly where it is now. I can bicep curl 25 pounds. I can do 10 pull ups. I can do 50 push ups. I can run a mile in less than 9 minutes. I'll stay with the 3x per week workouts, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings and not worry about missing the occasional session. I wouldn't mind being able to do 'more', but I'm pretty happy with where I'm at. For goals, I'm working on finger and toe gripping strength, the dragon flag, handstands, monkey crawling, and general body awareness during throws, flips, and rolls.
• Continue with the Brazilian jujitsu. I'm a blue belt now. The usual progression is that you must train continually for at least two years before you'll even be considered for promotion to purple. Between now and purple are 4 stripes on my blue belt. So for 2016 (and 2017), I'd be earning stripes. The idea is that white belts are learning basic techniques and blue belts are getting better and better at stringing those techniques together. Also, as a blue belt, I will be expected to take more of a role in assisting instruction for white belts. All of this sounds good to me. I am also beginning to reach out in the community of local female BJJ practitioners. Last week I went to a women's only roll and I'll go visit a different studio tomorrow. I'm going to a women-only event end of February. I intend to make both of the BJJ tournaments held in Tulsa, though as a new blue belt fighting experienced blues, I doubt I'll win. But the exposure and practice is good, as well as calming down my nervous jitters about being in a tournament.
• I'm going to get better at guns. I've sold the 9 mm and am going to buy a smaller 22 caliber pistol for general carry. It's quieter and does what I need in regard to varmints, while still having the deterrent factor of 'it's a gun!' to people. Skills I learn with a 22 will serve me well on bigger guns, should I ever need one. And I need to get better with my hunting rifle, and with hunting in general. To do this, and be able to practice the way I want to, I'm going to have to get a gun that can handle having a silencer attached to it, because otherwise my practice shots will attract unwanted attention.
• I want to hunt and fish more this year. Not just talk about it, but do it.
• I have some health issues I have some concern about. Nothing major, but I'm paying attention. It's arthritis in my knees and what seems to be Reynaud's syndrome affecting my toes and fingers. I'll keep an eye on them.

Financing all this good stuff

• I will maintain financial stability. I should complete the sale on my ex's house this year. I am still putting back 10% of my earnings towards savings. I'm not carrying any unsecured debt month-to-month. I need to work out my strategy for dealing with the credit cards/reward cards/frequent flier points. It's a little scattered right now and I need to make decisions before the annual fees for the cards start hitting in March.
• I need to make some decisions regarding the management of my IRA(s) in 2016, which will require me seeking out more training and education about them.
• Work is doing fine. I think 2016 will be a slow year of growth and settling in at my job, but I have a feeling of job security despite the difficult conditions my company is facing due to the continued oil and gas downturn.

Enjoying myself

• I will learn how to mix and appreciate alcoholic beverages.
• I will go on a cruise (scheduled for first part of March), to a convention (WorldCon 2016, in mid-August), and take some vacation days this year.
• I will parachute out of an airplane (or something similar - hot air balloon ride maybe) for my birthday. Something to get the blood pumping and remind me that I, and not my fears, am in control of my life.
• Visit the sex club a couple times. Mostly just to show off my fab new body (last time they saw me, I weighed like 80 lbs more). But maybe to get laid. Whatever - just get myself out there.
• Work on/maintain my friendship with Jess & Todd, and hopefully find some other couple or person/people I click with, maybe through BJJ or the gardening club. I should talk with Jenny more.

Gardening

• Install an irrigation system to maintain my count of now 80 fruit and nut trees, the 30 or so blackberry bushes, the artichoke bed, and the raised beds I'll grow stuff in.
• Get four or more hives running. I had four going into winter, but we'll see how many I have come spring. It would be nice to add a fifth.
• Grow some more stuff out in the front yard - watermelons and cantaloupes turned out great. Might do that again.

Family

• I'm cool with my boyfriend. He's ... he's good. I've got some issues with his progress towards the goals I'd like for him, but he's progressing and on his own journey. I'm going to keep working with him on his diet and weight loss, which is something he's asked for help on rather than me nagging him on it. (I try very hard not to nag at him. Or anyone.) I still don't feel 'love' for him, but he's a great friend and if that's what I have - a great friend who supports me, makes me feel good, is good in bed, and is there for me, then that's good for now. I still feel like I don't have a connection to him, but on the other hand, it sure is nice not to have all that emotional drama going on in my life.
• Keep working with my son to prep him for his life. He's 16 now. This summer he's going to take a week-long trip to Europe. He struggles with his grades, but we're working on that. It's not lack of smarts, but problems on turning the assignments in as he's supposed to, and staying focused. We're working on that. Also, we'll work on him learning to drive.
• With my daughter, my goal is to get her assessed for ADHD and on medication if she needs it. Then to get her reading and spelling up to par. Her ability to focus on things like school work is causing her issues.
• My parents are doing great. I'll keep being supportive.

Writing

• Continue MBU. Reread MBU in full in 2016, which at this point means reading 2-3 chapters per week. That's a lot!
• Rewatch Heroes in full in 2016, which is two episodes a week. I have the TV set up and working again, so at least this is possible. It seems awful ambitious, though.
• The rest ... I dunno. I'm rethinking my goal from several years ago about being a published writer by the time I'm 50, which is still 7 years away, but it's a less interesting goal now that my life is so cool.

I'm about halfway through a hot buttered rum at the moment, so I'll stop there. Looks like a good list.