A quick review of what I did last year (and I’m sure I”m forgetting things as well) in no particular order:
- Started posting on this blog more regularly (it is really a journal for me to use and look back on what I have done, but posting it on the internet gives me more incentive to write).
- Went to Six Flags with Susanna, the boys, Mark & Jessica, and Sarah and Nick.
- Drove to West Virginia for a family vacation.
- Visited Washington DC (on the drive to WV).
- Took the boys to NYC to watch the Lucia concert
- Spent a very fun week in San Diego with work.
- Replaced the front shocks and brake lines on the jeep (with lots of help).
- Got a new car.
- Did lots of hikes in the woods with Susanna and the dogs.
- Visited NYC several times.
- Went camping twice with the boys (once with my dad and once with Susanna) at Selden Neck State park.
- Went to Australia
- Visited Stockholm
- Did a 5k fun run with the boys and Susanna. Also did a second 5k fun run with Susanna (without the boys).
- Visited with family (many holiday dinners at my uncle’s house and had both of my parents visit).
- Did hikes with dogs on Sundays.
- Watched a good friend fight a very serious illness – and thankfully survive and regain his health.
- Planted a garden with Will and Ben.
- Stressed that Susanna had to deal with the hurricane by herself while I was in Australia (thanks again to everyone who stopped by to help out).
- Purchased a canoe (and repaired the seat on it).
- Took an underwater acoustics course at NUWC.
- Replaced the battery in my iPhone.
- Switched from a long distance relationship to having Susanna live with me.
- Found and lit sky lanterns with the boys.
I did lots of projects around the house (I had lost of help on some of these from Susanna and my dad):
- Painted the barn.
- Finished Ben’s Bedroom (complete renovation).
- Painted the dining room.
- Painted the living room (including a new ceiling and wiring)
- Added railings to all the stairs.
- Painted the porch trim.
- Built a patio.
- Refurbished and installed a bunch of storm windows.
- Installed a high-bay light in the workshop loft.
- Built shelves in the garage and workshop.
- Built a compost bin (a good way to get rid of not-so nice red oak).
- Improved the compost bin so Targa couldn’t jump in it.
- Improved the improved compost bin when Targa figured out how to jump in the improved one.
- Used the hose on Targa twice after he figured out how to get into the improved improved compost bin so that he no longer wants to jump in the compost bin.
- Repaired a window with Will (one that he broke by accident)
- Had the roof replaced.
- Cleaned out the storage loft (mostly).
- Got a piano (and had it moved into the house).
- Purchased a couch for Will’s room.
I also worked in the woodshop:
- Built two shelves (one for each boy).
- Built a fence for the router table (after watching Mark struggle with the crappy existing 2×4 oak board used as a fence).
- Submitted my desk design to the Design Matters Blog for a design critique (and got lots of good feedback).
- Built a lumber rack (pile) in the garage for the red oak I had cut in the spring.
- Built a shoe rack for the mud room.
- Built a finishing table for the basement.
- Built breadboards for Christmas.
- Built a bunch of wooden swords and guns for the boys.
- Built a storm window for one of Ben’s room.
- Took a class on saw sharpening.
- Made a saw bench.
- Drove to western Massachusetts with Susanna to pick up a trailer load of cherry boards.
I also left a couple of projects unfinished at the end of the year (but I’m doing better than in the past):
- The living room crown molding.
- The storm window for Ben’s room (needs paint).
- Finish cleaning the storage loft.
- Repair the keys on the piano.
