I hereby assign myself the following missions to be accomplished during the year 2013...
1. Finish my book.
I am writing a novel. A young adults novel. I haven't been talking about it, because I feel that talking dispels my focus. But I have written more than 15,000 words so far, and I feel that it's going well. I need to be writing every day, but it just doesn't always happen. I believe that if I can write a couple of hours a day, I can finish the first draft in six months or so. I am pretty determined to make this happen.
2. Get our house painted.
Yes, this was on my list for last year, and no, we still haven't done it. I'm afraid the paint on the sides of the house is actually peeling - we're talking ghetto stuff here. It's going to cost a lot, and we're going to have to take a chunk out of our savings, and this whole last year just didn't seem like a good time to be doing that. But it simply MUST be done. And maybe it will get our house more location work and pay for itself, and it can start playing the role of Cute Bungalow instead of Sad Tenement House. Color swatches anyone?
3. Make things in our house work.
You know how it is. Something will break, and you never get around to fixing it, and then you get used to it and find odd ways to rig it and eventually you kind of forget it's even fixable. No? That doesn't happen to everybody? Well, our house has become filled with these little boobytraps. When people come over, I have to walk around and explain things. Example: The bathroom doorknob is broken. Once you have closed the door, the only way to open it from the inside is to wrap your hand in a towel, and turn is REALLY HARD. And the only way to open it from the outside is with a pair of pliers. So if you are a small child, or someone of less than Superman strength, this is difficult. We just never shut it, so there's a lot of shouting of "Close your eyes, I'm on the potty!!" I can't tell you how many times someone has gotten stuck in the bathroom. It's ridiculous. Other things that don't work - the water/ice dispenser on the refrigerator, the light in the bathroom, the light in the kitchen and the ceiling fan in our bedroom. I am determined to remedy this situation.
4. Go to see movies I want to see.
I know this sounds pathetic. But back before Jude came along, Jimmy and I saw everything. I mean, we were at the movies every weekend. I made a point of seeing EVERY Oscar nominated movie in the theater EVERY year. Since Jude? Not so much. We're lucky that the Screen Actors Guild sends out free screener DVDs of many of the SAG Awards nominated films, so we get to watch them at home. But it's just not the same. Now, I must add that at the same time, I have seen every single animated children's movie that has come out in the last 9 years. I have taken the kid to everything from the sublime (Toy Story movies, Fantastic Mr. Fox) to the ridiculous (the horror that was Space Chimps and the dreaded Squeakquel). I would like to see grown up movies now please. We did take a giant leap last week and we took Jude to see Lincoln. I adored it - wept throughout the whole movie. But as we were leaving the theater, Jude pronounced in an incredibly loud voice "Just so you know, I didn't understand ONE THING in that movie!" But despite that, I feel that I can take him to some PG-13 movies now, and maybe that will help. But it would be even better if Jimmy and I went to the movies alone. I will make this happen.
5. Run two more 5Ks.
After running the Epilepsy Run/Walk back in October I have gone running exactly...twice. And my waistline has grown accordingly. Pathetic, right? So I think what I need to do is sign up for more 5Ks throughout the year to keep me accountable for being in shape. Now that I've done one, two more should be completely doable. I can even work on improving my time. And I could raise money for a good cause at the same time. This is a productive mission. Anybody know what 5Ks are happening in Los Angeles in 2013?
Alright, those are my missions for the year. I think that I can get these done. What do you want to accomplish in 2013?
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Please read all of our Missions for 2013 spinners!
And I think that "spinning every week" would be an excellent mission for all of you bloggers!
Vandy J at The Testosterone Three and Me
SuziCate at The Water Witch's Daughter
Ginny Marie at Lemon Drop Pie - NEW on FRIDAY
Kendra at Life in the slow lane - NEW on FRIDAY
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Next week on The Spin Cycle...
Color
Well, this one's pretty wide open, isn't it? Soooooo many ways to go.
Words? Pictures? Literal? Figurative?
Coloring? Colorless? Colorful? Color wheel? Color blind? Color palate? Color of Money? Color Me Beautiful?
Favorite color? Complementary color? Hair color? Skin color? Flying colors?
Write up your spin on "color". Post it. Let me know. I'll link it here!
If you'd like me to add you to my weekly Spin Cycle topic email, let me know. And if you have any questions, check out the Spin Cycle Tab up at the top.
See you next week!
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One nice thing about fixing things around the house is that you can find "how-tos" on the Internet. So unless you are afraid of electricity you should be able to fix all of those by yourself with tools you may have around the house.
Good luck on the book.
Posted by: Michele | 01/04/2013 at 03:53 AM
Good for you for running 5ks! You can do it!
Posted by: Alaina | 01/04/2013 at 05:48 AM
Signing up for 5Ks is a great idea! When I was signed up for the 2-Day Walk, it really kept me on track with my walking.
And yay for your book! I'm so excited to see what it's all about!
My mission statements are here:
http://www.lemondroppie.com/2013/01/mission-2013/
Posted by: Ginny Marie | 01/04/2013 at 05:48 AM
I'm thinking that if I can get to running more than a mile in the mornings, I might have to try for a 5K by the end of the summer. Give me a goal anyway.
We think about getting to the movies, but we never quite make it when watching at home is so much more convenient, especially with small kids. We really should get Turbo to the theater for a movie this year.
Posted by: VandyJ | 01/04/2013 at 07:54 AM
your missions are great. I would love to go see more movies I want to see. Good luck!
Here is my spin:
http://lifeintheslowlane-kendra.blogspot.com/2013/01/mission-will-be-complete.html
Posted by: Kendra | 01/04/2013 at 09:31 AM
You will be a busy woman this next year! And I love how Jude will tell you just how he feels!!!
And I have my color spin cycle ready for you to link.
Posted by: Janice Adcock | 01/07/2013 at 03:58 PM
I am so proud of you for the book. So, so proud. Finishing (ok, starting) mine this year is a goal for me too. Oh, movies. We try to go regularly but I can't remember the last thing just my husband and I saw together. There are so many things in our house that only work because we've made them "different" as in the bedroom side lamp only works if the cord is to the left and slightly elevated. Um, buy a new damn lamp already. There's a cabinet that must be lifted, jiggled, closed just so. Our water/ice dispenser has never worked. I want a whole new fridge. This one came with the house and who knows how long the previous owners had it. There's also no light in the fridge so you have to turn on the kitchen light if it's dark out just to find the damn orange juice. The door knob to the girls' bathroom comes off in your hand. If you close it behind you you have to push it hard to get back out. Doesn't always work.
I'ma make some changes too.
Posted by: Arnebya | 01/08/2013 at 10:26 AM