Annual Obligatory Update

Back in December I attended a Banquet for the first time in over a year and was reminded that this blog still exists. . . and more importantly, that other people exist and it's time to expand my world, armed with 3 shots of COVID-19 vaccine, and vague memories of how to function in society. 

Now we're off and running into a new year, and new coronavirus variants, with no lockdowns, no available same day (or even next day) testing, and my several orders of genuine or counterfeit KN95 masks (in black by request of family.) Immediate goal is to stay healthy until our postponed Italian Bagna Cauda celebration mid-January. 

Should be easier for me, since once again it is likely tax season will be off to a slow start pending IRS delays. However, since the kids refuse to explore my suggestion that they sneak off somewhere in the school to eat lunch in isolation, the possibility is strong that the virus will follow them home, especially the younger who is still ineligible for a booster vaccine. 

I have a few times a year that I get on an organizational and efficiency kick. Usually in May, after I've recovered from tax season, and September, a throwback to back-to-school habits, and then in January, with all the New Year Resolution energy. 

However, this year, my September organization went particularly well, as I started using a project management app to keep track of all my personal AND work goals and tasks (unbelievably, there are ELEVEN projects I'm actively pursuing in my life, in my apparent effort to cram several lifetimes into the one I've got.) 

Due to eleven categories of balls to drop, I'm trying to use more tools to improve my efficiency, including my early Christmas gift, a smart watch. The initial goal was to just be able to unobtrusively read text messages from my kids while working with clients, but it is also a fitness watch. I started using it early to test because I've gotten burned before by delaying use of a new purchase, and then finding out too late that I'm dissatisfied. However, I'm very satisfied that my smart watch is also a fitness watch, which really helps me to stay on top of my Health and Fitness project. 

My point with all of this is that, I've come into the New Year without my customary lull of not following through on my great September plans. Well, almost--once again all the fall gardening tasks that I listed in my Gardening project remain incomplete, thanks to getting very sick with "not covid, just a cold and subsequent ear and sinus infection" that knocked me out during the peak fall clean-up weeks in October. I did absolutely nothing, even when I put out the outdoor Christmas decorations. Finally, the day after Christmas, I put all the flower pots, with dead plants that I had intended to baby through the winter, into the garage, and checked everything as complete from my fall gardening list. (Project management app tracks tasks as complete or incomplete. There is no category for not complete, too late now, never gonna do it, stop nagging me already.) 

Anyway, I've started off the New Year and my first writers chat night, by writing this post, my time is up, see ya next year, most likely. (Blogging is not one of my eleven projects, although writing is.)