Does anyone else feel like this year is winding down?  It’s been a year and then some.  At first, I thought 2011 was going to be one of those “bad” odd years.  My bad years have usually been odd numbered years but somehow or another, despite a rocky beginning, 2011 has turned out to be pretty darn good.  And all it took was me sitting down with myself sometime in May and having a heart-to-heart about how I am ultimately the one in control of my life and whether or not 2011 is going to suck or not.  I decided it wasn’t going to suck and sure enough, look what happened!

It’s been a really fun year full of happy surprises and great experiences.  I’ve learned a thing or eleventy, too. 

But before I even start thinking about not putting up a Christmas tree, I always prep my next year’s to-do list.  Whenever I do this, I always mentally create the “dream” list.  That’s the stuff I want to do and the stuff I absolutely know without a doubt it’s not going to happen because ultimately I’m not ready or it just isn’t the time or place for those things. 

Here’s the dream list:

Throw away almost every piece of furniture we own

Re-do the few pieces we keep

Go to: Thailand, Greece, France, Spain, Los Angeles, New York City, road trip the American South, American Midwest again, off season Mexico, Chiapas Mexico, Florence (Italy not Alabama), and Turkey

Write that damn novel living in your head and your nightly dreams

Go back to school so The Powers That Be will leave you the hell alone about it and let you do your job while you’re working on a degree that allows you to continue to hold your job.  Because three additional initials after your name counts more than three decades experience.  Whatever.  Just drink the kool-aide. (whoa bitter much, June?)

Cycle daily even if it’s just 15 minutes (either inside or outside)

Lose that extra 20 pounds

Finish Beav’s scrapbook

Remodel the bathrooms</i>

Pretty darn impressive, eh?  I think if I don’t sleep, rob a bank/win the lottery/clean out the 401k I can accomplish all this.  I would probably need to quit my job to accomplish that travel itinerary which would eliminate the whole “go to school” bullet point. 

So barring completely losing my mind, cleaning out the bank accounts and running away from home, I’ve parsed down the list to the following:

<i>Throw away almost every piece of furniture we own

Re-do the a few pieces of furniture we keep

Go to: Thailand, Greece, France, Spain, Los Angeles, New York City, road trip the American South, American Midwest again, off season Mexico, Chiapas Mexico, Florence (Italy not Alabama), and Turkey

Write that damn novel living in your head and your nightly dreams

[explore going] back to school so The Powers That Be will leave you the hell alone about it and let you do your job while you’re working on a degree that allows you to continue to hold your job.  Because three additional initials after your name counts more than three decades experience.  Whatever.  Just drink the kool-aide. (whoa bitter much, June?)

Cycle daily even if it’s just 15 minutes (either inside or outside)

Lose that extra 20 pounds

Finish Beav’s scrapbook

[have someone else] Remodel the bathrooms </i>

I like that list, it’s manageable and fits well into my multi-tasking way of life. 

Hang on, 2012, it’s gonna be a fast ride!