Onward to 2012.
I’m kind of fanatical about using my time well. Not because I think I’m about to die, but because right now I’m reasonably healthy and capable, so I might as well make hay while the sun shines.
So I participate in this meme to remind myself, at the end of the year, what I remember of what I did.
At day job:
- Kicked ass at one job, but would soon not be needed there anymore.
- Rewrote my resume at least 25 times.
- Applied to 97 jobs
- Had “informational” and phone interviews for at least 20 jobs
- Found a wonderful team, boss, and product to work on.
- Learned the new job, new tools, new people, new jargon.
- Took on big projects, made new friends. Counted my lucky stars.
At home:
- Help Dietrich get convinced to quit his job and become a full-time knifemaker.
- Rebudgeted. Everything.
- Played Kinect games with Mom, long-distance.
- Earned NAR High Power Rocket certification level 1.
- Celebrated the Kid’s high school graduation.
- Planted tomatoes, potatoes, basil. Ate well.
- Hosted several friends for many great dinners and conversations.
- Exercised my franchise at our 2nd annual Voting Party.
- Helped get the knife business off the ground.
Writing:
- Saw “Automatic Selection” published by DailyScienceFiction.com in January.
- Met every couple of weeks with Type & Gripe group, plus many, many Saturdays.
- Wrote experimental “Natural history of carnivorous unicorns.” Submitted it several places (serially), all rejected.
- Re-re-re-revised post-apocalypse novel “Struggle and thrive.” Still grievously fragmented.
- Wrote “How Frank Delano Changed the World But Not As Much As He Thought.” Sold to Timid Pirate Publishing for “Finding Home” anthology.
- Arranged a Browncoat’s rebellious NaNoWriMo write-in, which was great fun.
- Wrote 50,000 words of silly dreck for NaNoWriMo.
- Got back in the habit of daily morning writing.
- Bi-weekly Type & Gripe decided to meet weekly. (And still on Saturdays.)
- Met post-NaNoWriMo, 1-month challenge to write and submit a short story to a pro market: Wrote “Golden Rule.” Submitted, pending response.
- Revised “Natural history… unicorn” to remove experimental bits. Considering where to submit “Speak to your daughter in the language of unicorns.” Also considering a better title.
- Signed up for Write1Sub1.com challenge in 2012, in which I’ll write and submit at least one short story per month.
More:
- Imagined an app I’d like, and started to work on it with a couple of exceptional co-workers.
- Sent Pieforge back to Black Rock City with a few upgrades and a new logo.
- Started but didn’t finish knitting a blue cotton sweater.
- Started but didn’t finish making a hand-sized skeletal marionette that fits in a top hat.
- Cleaned up an enormous quantity of feline effluence. At 18 and 19, these cats are oooooold.
What I’d like to accomplish in 2012:
- At work: bring big projects to successful conclusions. Start more big projects.
- Sell Dietrich-made knives online and at shows in Oregon and Atlanta.
- Tell better stories.
- Finish the app project, and launch it.
[Originally published at http://blog.torreybird.com.]