Onward to 2012.

I’m kind of fanatical about using my time well. Not because I think I’m about to die, but because right now I’m reasonably healthy and capable, so I might as well make hay while the sun shines.

So I participate in this meme to remind myself, at the end of the year, what I remember of what I did.

In 2011:

At day job:

• Kicked ass at one job, but would soon not be needed there anymore.
• Rewrote my resume at least 25 times.
• Applied to 97 jobs
• Had “informational” and phone interviews for at least 20 jobs
• Found a wonderful team, boss, and product to work on.
• Learned the new job, new tools, new people, new jargon.
• Took on big projects, made new friends. Counted my lucky stars.

At home:

• Help Dietrich get convinced to quit his job and become a full-time knifemaker.
• Rebudgeted. Everything.
• Played Kinect games with Mom, long-distance.
• Earned NAR High Power Rocket certification level 1.
• Celebrated the Kid’s high school graduation.
• Planted tomatoes, potatoes, basil. Ate well.
• Hosted several friends for many great dinners and conversations.
• Exercised my franchise at our 2nd annual Voting Party.
• Helped get the knife business off the ground.

Writing:

• Saw “Automatic Selection” published by DailyScienceFiction.com in January.
• Met every couple of weeks with Type & Gripe group, plus many, many Saturdays.
• Wrote experimental “Natural history of carnivorous unicorns.” Submitted it several places (serially), all rejected.
• Re-re-re-revised post-apocalypse novel “Struggle and thrive.” Still grievously fragmented.
• Wrote “How Frank Delano Changed the World But Not As Much As He Thought.” Sold to Timid Pirate Publishing for “Finding Home” anthology.
• Arranged a Browncoat’s rebellious NaNoWriMo write-in, which was great fun.
• Wrote 50,000 words of silly dreck for NaNoWriMo.
• Got back in the habit of daily morning writing.
• Bi-weekly Type & Gripe decided to meet weekly. (And still on Saturdays.)
• Met post-NaNoWriMo, 1-month challenge to write and submit a short story to a pro market: Wrote “Golden Rule.” Submitted, pending response.
• Revised “Natural history… unicorn” to remove experimental bits. Considering where to submit “Speak to your daughter in the language of unicorns.” Also considering a better title.
• Signed up for Write1Sub1.com challenge in 2012, in which I’ll write and submit at least one short story per month.

More:

• Imagined an app I’d like, and started to work on it with a couple of exceptional co-workers.
• Sent Pieforge back to Black Rock City with a few upgrades and a new logo.
• Started but didn’t finish knitting a blue cotton sweater.
• Started but didn’t finish making a hand-sized skeletal marionette that fits in a top hat.
• Cleaned up an enormous quantity of feline effluence. At 18 and 19, these cats are oooooold.

What I’d like to accomplish in 2012:

• At work: bring big projects to successful conclusions. Start more big projects.
• Sell Dietrich-made knives online and at shows in Oregon and Atlanta.
• Tell better stories.
• Finish the app project, and launch it.