Hiatus & Final Report Card

I have been on hiatus for almost a month now. Not planned, but somehow the chores of work and hours in the garden seemed to take a priority over virtual life while the blog and other email became victims of neglect. Not that things haven't been vibrant and full. So to jump start, with the onset of summer vacation and classrooms vacating - I decided to revisit my New Year's Resolutions from 6 mos back and give myself an evaluation. It is NOT GOOD. I think I would be held back for a do-over if it was actually being measured for credit. Here are the grades:

Twitter - A = Surprisingly, this is the one that held the most credibility. The goal was to use the outlet to make a voice heard once a day to champion a cause, political statement or just a friendly pat on the back. I keep my following small but check in regularly. Big shout outs to @AmyPoehlerSmartGirls for doing good, @SidewalkDog for a wealth of knowledge and @BetteMidler & @theTweetOfGod for making me laugh daily.

Letters - B = the goal was to keep hand written correspondence as part of my ritual, especially to older relatives and distant friends. It takes an effort to get a stamp on and sent, but I've been good on letters to Grandma, holiday cards and just sent out a small batch of postcards - so I pass.

Baking - B- = I had started out great, but as temps have been warming up, I am spending more time outside and less in the kitchen. Some cookie recipes have been great like the chocolate s'more bars. One failed in the peanut-butter pull aparts (which did not rise), but I am a usual victor at breads and just finished a mean strawberry rhubarb pie. If I included times the grill & firepit have been fired up this season it would catapult me to an A.

Scanning Pics - C = I always have good intentions on the #tbt scans and posts to Facebook. I go in batches of scanning and then forget to follow up and actually post them. But I am overwhelmed by the albums and boxes of old photos that stir up memories. With each posting they do the task of reconnecting to old friends and moments nearly forgotten.

* now the list takes a horrible turn into failure. Perhaps my NY expectations are too high and should set the bar lower with less to accomplish.

Books - D = This one I don't understand, since I loved to read through high school. Maybe it is just too time consuming and I can't part with the extra minutes. The goal was a single book a month. I finished Edna Ferber's Showboat after a solid 3 mos, then something else that has already slipped my mind. Currently on Augusten Burroghs Dry! (which is amusing) and a memoir of the Greenwich Village music scene. But 2 books in 6 mos is a failure!

Basement - D- = The goal was to take the winter months and gut out the hording that has amassed downstairs and finish a few house projects. I did dig through boxes last week because I needed to remember where the summer shorts ended up and the fans had been boxed. There were maybe 2 days where I actually donned sweats and sorted out junk, but the bags remain at the bottom of the stairs where I trip over them with each load of laundry.

Wellness - D = I am good at my evening sit-ups and my back surely appreciates the extra crunches when working the garden. But otherwise, all the good intentions of eating breakfast and time outs at work to just sit for 5 minutes are wasted. It is usually 5PM and I realize I have not left my desk or computer for hours at a time. I did take a Lakeside Yoga class last night and it was a brutal and pleasant reminder that this needs to be a priority.

Vacation - D = And this would be a fail if not for the Memorial Day weekend Jeff & I just returned from in Duluth which was wonderful. I did a judging weekend in Dayton OH which was a gracious day with old friends in a slightly spring climate, but did not constitue a vacation. But what about the promised trip to Europe or even Florida like I have vowed every year for the past decade??

Game Nights - F = Epic Fail! Invitations went out for the 1st in Jan. and when we couldn't agree on the right night to connect, the whole project halted right there. Jeff & I played a couple of games of Clue at my behest but this one died major!

Happy Hour - F = Also a failure. I think one with an old colleague. The emails go out and dates make it on the calendar only to be cancelled. Why do we not allow ourselves time? This week I did have a Margarita with friends in the neighborhood, so possible a late season turn around.