01-01-11

I hope you all had a great New Years Eve. Brenda and I celebrated with friends and the band 24/7. Good music and lots of dancing.

We asked our 100 year old Grandpa if he ever made New Year's resolutions. He said he had made them in the past but doesn't do them any more because they are just something to be broken. However, he has made 2 that he was able to keep. One was to never eat watermelon in the winter, and the other was to quit chewing tobacco (that was easy cause he tried it once and hated it)!

Today, Brenda and I sat down to review our "to do list". This is actually a "bucket list" but we developed it while sitting at the wine bar a few years ago, before the movie Bucket List appeared. Here is our progress, thus far:

1. Plan for retirement - We are back on track again this year, following 13 months of unemployment. We are so grateful for my job and we can plan for our future retirement once again.

2. Get together with Denise and Bill- These are our wonderful friends in Scotland. Since writing this, we have seen them in Mexico, Scotland and Malta! Keeping on track with this goal.

3. Celebrate our 50th anniversary! On track with this one! Brenda says she is not tired of me yet!

4. Go to Napa Valley- Not done yet, but we are certainly drinking more wine!

5. Go to the Greek Isles- Not done yet. Still a goal. Until then, we eat Greek food and go the the Greek festival....not a great substitution, but it's all we have!

6. Stay home one weekend night a month- We've been more of this, if I'm not working!

7. Entertain guests again- Yes, we have been doing more entertaining. Just small groups now, since we have downsized to our "cottage".

8. Get away every winter quarter. - Yes, have met this one. Florida 2 years ago, New Orleans last year and going to Las Vegas this February and New Orleans again this March.

9. Get back to Mexico! - Yes, met this one! We went to Puerto Vallarta in October. Wonderful!

10. Go see our Awesome A's - Yes, we were there in July and we had an Awesome stay with us for over a week this summer. We are also going back in February.

11. Make Christmas less chaotic - hmmmm. Making some progress. Our Christmas shopping was completed by November. And, we had a great Christmas in Evansville this year with a fun couple of nights thrown in staying at the boat (casino).

12. Become the "glue" - We have been working to get our family back in touch with one another and have accomplished that. We have reconnected with Brenda's cousins and brother and we have reunited my family through planning grandpa's 100th birthday party and continuing our contacts with one another.

13. Health and fitness- Well, this is ongoing!! End of discussion.

14. Save $3000 - On target. Uhhhh....would do better if we quit spending!

15. One week per month, do not go to the grocery - We have been striving to do this. Continued.

16. Hawaii cruise, or Alaska - Yes! We are booked for an Alaskan cruise in June! Can't wait!

17. Vacation with the "boys"- Yes! We are going to New Orleans with them in March!

18. Go to Sante Fe and Lake Garda - Future plans!

Happy New Year everyone! Whether you make resolutions, a bucket list or just let "come what may", I am wishing you great things in 2011!

Cary