And then there were three...

The big day is almost here!

As a result, I'm posting some random stuff and thoughts in this holiday-week post. Partly because I wanted to post, partly because I wanted to avoid work. Who has the energy or focus for actual work - there are 1.5 days of work left before I have more than a week off!

A great Slate.com story on Swedish Christmas tradition: Watching a Donald Duck special from the 1950s on Christmas Eve. Every single year the entire nation shuts down to watch it. Crazy Swedes.

And here is a cute little ... we'll call it a blog... in which the author imagines the fictional marriage situation that led to the pictures in a home-decorating catalog. While it sounds kinda boring, its actually quite clever.

Sometimes, you complain about something, and it goes right out and surprises you.

(I consider myself an almost entirely rationale person. At least I try to be. I don't keep many totems, or believe in much of the mystical, or do any routines. I don't have a lucky shirt, nor do I do certain things to help the Eagles win or whatever. But for several reasons I won't get in to, I consider the number 3, if not lucky or magical, at least special in the universe.)

Better Bryan X Final Review

Some house cleaning before all focus turns toward Christmas, the year ends and Better Bryan '11 begins:

1: Donate or volunteer more often than in 2009

- Managed this one pretty well. Between all the weight R. lost, leading to lots of donated clothes, and the money I donated that I got work to match, I think this was a success. And its a Buddhist principle to boot!

2. Be less petty/condescending

I'm not always sure why anyone would ever choose to live with me, honestly. This wasn't a resounding success early in the year, but I think I've come a long way in the last 2-4 months. This has been a tough year, and one of my patience-depleting triggers has been right at the core, but we'll be generous and say its a modest success.

3. Cut out the sighing at R

This was - at least a little - tied to the one above. I'm told I do other things now, so its an ongoing thing. But that is part of what this is all about: growth.

4. Keep the house more clean, more often

Success. And considering I'm home 100% of the time over the last month, and thus 100x more likely to make a mess, I'd say its a pretty damn good success.

5. More focus at work

Much more work going on (even though its now from home).

6. Spend 15 minutes/week in meditation/silent

15 minutes? Not close. A couple minutes before bed. Yes. I was doing this at red lights and in traffic, but, well, I don't drive anywhere anymore.

7. Talk less/listen more

At best, with myself as the judge and jury as well as administrator of the appeal process, the verdict wan't so good.

8. Stop singing so many bastardized songs, especially to the dog

Sigh. What can I say: I like the sound of my own voice, have no one to talk too, and am creative.

9. Don't get so annoyed by C.

Mostly a success. Entirely avoiding an irritant counts as not being irritated; correct? Does this seem mean? Too f'in bad. It's my life and I don't want irratation. Speaking of which, this entire convo is starting to irratate me. And abbreviating conversation as convo normally does, so we are done.

10. Get R. the earrings she wanted.

In hindsight this was, well, not a mistake. Not really premature either. Just shortsighted with the benefit of hindsight. I'm glad I/we did it. She's wanted them for ever. But life is what happens while you are living out your plan. I wouldn't undo this, but certainly I would have like to have that money back at various points during this somewhat trying year.

Final review: Outright success on 4, passing grade on another 3. Only missed outright on 3. Ten things is a lot to address in a year. It's a lot of self improvement, and its hard to change one thing, let alone 10.

Looking ahead: Can we please? I didn't exactly hate 2010, but like a house guest who overstays their welcome, I won't be overly sad to see it go, either. It's been a long bruising year of health problems, surprise expenses, illness, job worry, job change and house problems.

Sure, I fixed some of the house stuff, and bought a new truck that I love, and R. lost most of her 75 pounds during the year, and quit smoking, and the person we know who contracted cancer seems to be doing well, but every 365-day period is going to have some good things. And I hate to complain: I know my life, through a combination of hard work and luck, is amazing and amazingly good. Still, 2010 would have to qualify as one of the tough years. At the very least, it is one of the landings in the continually upward spiraling staircase that has been my life. I mean, I have my core health and a job, so I can't complain too much, right?

So here's to 2011 being an end to 2010.

2010, thou hast possibly redeemed thyself

First, my book order, scheduled for delivery by USPS on Tuesday, Jan. 19, arrives Monday, Jan. 18. A holiday Monday, nonetheless. My books are here, yeah! The government mail service actually did something with some competency: color me surprised.

Then, the nationalized health-care bill all but dies after a Republican upsets a Democrat for Kennedy's Mass. Senate seat on Tuesday. Now, I'm no fan of Republicans or Brown himself, but a victory in a battle, even if its just an enemy of my enemy, is a victory. The small"er" government crowd wins one!

Next, the SCOTUS finds that statutory limits on corporate, union and other "groups" spending for politicians and during campaigns is unconstitutional under the First Amendment's "Congress shall pass no law ... abridging the freedom of speech" language. A victory for free speech!

Finally, on Thursday I start in on The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris and I absolutely love it. Its some pretty good prose, and the concept is already pretty interesting. Its one of those books where - 14 pages in - I'm sad the story will eventually have to end. I like the characters that much. And I've only really been introduced to two of them. So maybe my reading funk was more what I was reading than actual reading.

And now, I find out as I'm typing this post, that the surgery on R.'s eyes have them at 20/25, and that they will probably improve all the way to 20/20.

So, 2010, I guess you're not off to such a bad start after all.