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 Redux

It's hard enough shopping for Christmas, but as soon as the holiday is over we are bombarded with lists of things we should have waited to buy.

Evidently, there are items that are traditionally cheaper after that special day!

Then, there's a sea of sales flyers and discount promotions that come our way!

Here's one list that showed up today...nine things that are touted as a better deal after the 25th:

http://www.walletpop.com/2010/12/14/nine-things-to-buy-after-christmas/

I'm not sure how to handle this information.  We all like to save money, but the idea of giving is tied to the day of the holiday, I think.  I was brought up believing that you delivered gifts before the holiday or on the holiday, so the recipient would have them for their holiday.

But with all of this "deals" information, why would we want to buy anything before Christmas when we know that, each year, the better deals come after the celebration?

In this new recessive economy, should I have given "certificates" to my gift recipients stating that I'd be buying them something after Christmas or should I have stalled seeing them until I bought it?

These questions add another dimension to the holiday...one of shopping before and after the holiday, for the holiday!  I feel you have to buy Christmas presents in time for Christmas.  However, now that I can save some money, I may have to think about next year and put some people off.  I could schedule several "after-holiday" holiday get-togethers.

It's tough enough to get to, or plan and host, before-holiday parties and meals, then there's Christmas Eve, and then Christmas Day.  Now, post-Christmas gatherings for scheduled cost-reduced gift giving?

And what's the chance of getting those several persons you've delayed giving give gifts to together on the same day?  Some people have time off between Christmas and New Years, others don't.  Some have plans, some have to travel, and some are just plain hard to schedule.

Add the weather to all of that and we could be having Christmas every day for a month!  The extra added burden is to try to get this all done before New Years.  Did I mention trying to figure out what to do on New Years while still shopping and wrapping for Christmas, after Christmas?

This is getting too complicated!

Friends of our family, many years ago, held their large family and friends holiday on the weekend after the Feast of the Epiphany.

They celebrated what we knew as "Russian Christmas," and it was their annual holiday celebration for family and friends...a one-time, all-at-once, tradition.

Now, I think I know why this would be a good thing for me!

This celebration comes twelve days after Christmas, next on January 6, 2011.

By waiting until after the first of the year, I would have time to take in the after-Christmas sales and the beginning of the January white sales!  I could discount my holiday purchases by 70%!!!  If I could hold off decorating, I could probably even get a break on that $45.00 tree!

And, by then, no one I know has anywhere they have to be.  It's January, it's cold and dull and people are almost ready for another party!

The greatest thing?  If my guests don't come to this party, they have to wait until the next Christmas before thinking about the present thing again.  No pressure to shop for the holiday after that!  It's January...what do you expect?  Christmas presents on Valentine's Day...no way!  It's over!

I'd have another month to get to Christmas cards, I could actually relax at any and all December parties, and when asked that perennial question my answer would be, "Oh no, I don't start any shopping for Christmas until after Christmas...could I have another Hot Rum and Brandy, a double please?"

That would be swell.  Imagine, a stress reduced, one-shot holiday.

Nice thought, but I shouldn't be rambling...we're having Christmas again this week and I have some shopping, wrapping and baking to get to!

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!

Back to the Nativity Future

Continuing short posts, as we all spend time catching up before the big day.

I'm collecting some holiday trivia to put together for a post later in the week, so if there's something you want to know about Christmas or New Years, or anything else for that matter, post a comment by hitting the comment button below!

In the meantime, my good friend Heidi forwarded this You Tube video this morning!

If you wondered how the nativity story would go down via social media, here's one amazing and entertaining take: