Capt. Mondo's World o' Mondo-ness

Some New Year's Resolutions
In the recent past I haven't put much stock in New Year's resolutions, as they can just be a setup for future disappointment, but this year I do have a few certain, long-standing goals I'd like to accomplish. Might as well list them here:

• loose weight and/or get in better shape. A regular to most people's lists I'm sure, but I'd like to get back down to my size and shape from my University days). The day I can comfortably get into my old University leather jacket is how I will ultimately measure success.
• pay off by credit card debts. It's higher than I would like at the moment, and paying it off will allow me to go after some of my other goals this year.
• get more art in the house. This may be an odd one, but am getting tired of looking at the same old posters and such on our walls. The posters are cool and neatly framed, but are beginning to remind me too much of life in University rather than an established home of many years. Ideally, I'd like to get a piece from Wood that Works for our living room, perhaps a distinctive clock from Clockwerks for the mantle, and a painting I've had my eye on from Arts on Queen. That would be a good, fun start.
• finally get around to digitizing my old vinyl. As I mentioned to my Aunt the other day, making up the record list is only the start. I have a turntable, amplifier, a spare computer and Audacity -- what more do I need to CD/MP3 my old vinyl?
• reform the basement living space. Likely a multi-year process to do this completely, but the place still hasn't fully recovered from the minor flooding of a couple of years ago, thanks to tree roots getting into our drainage pipe. In addition to making the place look less like a basement apartment (which it was once, long ago), and more of a rec room, I'd like to add an HDTV setup, thoguh am still wondering if I should wait for HDCP to come into effect first. I'd hate to buy a nice wide-screen only to discover I couldn't play much in the way of new DRM-ed content on it when the Vista OS finally ships. Still debating that one, as I fundamentally oppose the idea of DRMed content, but would be a fool to ignore the fact that it is coming, like it or not.

There are others as well: earn more money, apply for the PhD at the Faculty of Information Sciences, start driving to work, but they are not as high on the priority list for various reasons. I would really like to take the girls over to England to see their Great-Aunts and Great-Uncle, as well as their more distant cousins but I doubt that will be affordable this year.

Not a bad list to start with. 2006, here I come! ;-)