Sidewalk Resolutions

I have two choices with this title.

I can either share my list of stuff to be sure to do for the coming year, which you may be expecting, or provide various photographic shots of sidewalks...you know, focusing (pun intended) on aperture, zoom, other settings, locations, and all of the graphic stuff that goes along with the highs and lows of photo resolution. 

As it's my brother, and not I, who is the professional photographer, I'll stick to the pseudo-personal-prophecy stuff and let you in on what I have planned for 2011.

Grab a Dewars and water and enjoy!

1.  Buy more Dewars.  I've given tribute to this grain-nectar in my blog postings several times and want to be sure to keep up with the image I'm portraying...truth in advertising, you know.

2.  Follow up on a bacterial test for our well water.  I had one done in mid-2010 and was told that doing the same each six months would ensure that we were aware that the water we are drinking is safe.  Seems that there are unacceptable levels of bacteria that can inhabit well water.  They can come from a variety of sources that I'd rather not think about (and my wife talks to the chipmunks in the front yard, encouraging them to stay).  I told the water testing place that I had an additive for the water I drink that purified it...Dewars!

3.  Buy more stock in Dewars.

4.  Keep blogging daily and send out more reminders to readers and potential readers to increase my number of followers.  Also, encourage more comments and solicit ideas for posts.  Maybe have a contest and award a prize to the person who gets the most people in their circle of friends to sign up and for the most comments!  First prize perhaps, what do you think, Dewars?

5.  Continue the search for a sidewalk, to which we might move closer.  Places sidewalk will provide connection to include a house, coffee shop/cafe, grocery store, gift/toy shop, antique shop, art/craft shop and museums, florist, post office, barbers shop (do they still make them?), something else I'm forgetting?  Oh yeah, liquor store...Dewars!

6.  Follow through on signing up for education and art classes.  Some of them may be on-line, others offered at spots in surrounding towns to which I'll have to drive.  As I never drink before driving, I should get my class schedule set, find out just how much I'll be driving (as in time on the road, at class and back) and reassess portfolio distribution as regards stock in Dewars.

7.  Paint the deck this Spring or Summer, cut and chop wood on our property for use during cold months, do something about about dying hemlocks in front yard, contact town about water running off the road through our property, and find something to do with the gazillion acorns that fall in our yard each year.  Set goals for each, by writing out a plan, follow through and have a rewards for the completion of each.  Are you thinking what I'm thinking?  Dewars and water.

8.  Enjoy family and friends more.  Stress less about the time spent driving too and from places to meet with them.  Come up with relaxation techniques while driving safely.

9.  Visualize walking on sidewalks, perhaps, as I'm driving the complete length of the thruway to visit with family for half an hour.  "Think" sidewalks as I'm driving an hour to get a gallon of milk.  "See" sidewalks as I return to town because I forgot to get eggs, too.  Repeat, over and over, "there's no place like a sidewalk, there's no place like a sidewalk," as I prepare for trips to the mall.

10.  Many gurus will tell you, think it and it's yours.  I'll work on that.  And when I return home from my automobile adventures that would not take place if I were connected to those places we need with a sidewalk, I'll take solace in the fact that I will have a sidewalk of my own someday soon.   Until then, it's me and my wife, the two boys still at home, and our four cars to get us to our daily needs, and my Dewars.

Christmas is Coming!

Thought I'd let you know that there are only 364 days until Christmas!  We could keep this recession in check, if we write more checks!

And, I'm sure there are some who didn't get what they wanted for Christmas.  Now is the time to start letting people know.  They could probably get a real good buy on it, in the coming days, and can store it away until next year.

However, if they're anything like me, they'll forget they bought it or put it somewhere where they'll "remember where it is," and then forget that, too!

Just yesterday, I was lugging stuff out of the closet to put under the tree.   I came across a shirt I bought for one of the boys last year and had forgotten that I'd hidden it there.  One on hand, it's not good that I put things away that show up a year later; on the other hand, one of the boys scored another gift!

I have put things away several times to deliver as future gifts, in a place "where I know I will find them" and then can't.  I'm thinking I could put the words "forget" and "gift" together and come up with a new word for this repetitive activity of mine, and what I believe many others do, "Forgifted."  As in, I'm buying this and putting it away "forgifted."  When you run the words together, it means that you will put it away to give to someone as a gift, forget about it, and then it will show up at the wrong future date for the same reason, a gift to give later than intended!  And, pressure's off...no late deliveries, just "forgifted."

Maybe that's what Santa did with my sidewalk!  He didn't bring me one this year, but I did get some Scotch to hold me over until I find it.

Got a few other things I needed and wanted, so it's all good.

I'll put the sidewalk back on my list for next year.  Better yet, with the New Year coming up, maybe I need to put an action word with it, make it a resolution, and "find a sidewalk!"

There's a thought!

But then, if I work on it and Santa all ready has it, but  he "forgifted" it, then I may end with two sidewalks at some point!  I can't think about that right now.

Christmas is coming and I have to start getting ready!

In the meantime, until next Christmas and the possibility of a bailout for each and every one of from this economy, my song from our Christmas newsletter this year:

We Need A Little Bailout Now!*
*Sung to the tune of We Need a Little Christmas Now

Spend all the money, put up the tree before my stocks fall again.
Fill up the gas tank.  We may be rushing things but
Gonna get our bailout dough.
For we can have a little Christmas, each and every minute,
Brand new thermal windows, expensive restaurant dinners.
Yes, we’ll have a little Christmas, each and every minute.
The Feds say cash is coming, don’t worry,
But Santa, dear, we‘re in a hurry.

So, we’ll reline the chimney, pick up the brightest string
Of pearls we’ve every seen.
Spread out the windfall, it’s time we bought some land
On the other side of the state.
For we’ve grown a little smarter, seen our credit smolder,
Ready now to barter, and find that as we’re older.
And  have a bailout angel, we’ll heft cash on our shoulder
And have a little Christmas now,

And we’ll take our bailout money, and buy a little laughter,
And we’ll be shouting and singing, up and through the rafter,
And we’ll get a little crazy
Happy for a soon to come
No-payback-bailout Christmas now!