In advance of the new year, I’m making this public. Hopefully, I’ll track my progress. Areas are not listed in any order, other than how they pop into my brain.

Professional: I’m taking one of many baby steps and getting involved in code camp. I’ve volunteered to take on the web site duties, and one of my personal professional goals is to have enough confidence about a subject to give a talk at the next one. I’m picking up sharepoint coding, so that may develop into a presentation, and I’m getting back into web development after six months of vb6/install shield heck, so maybe I’ll be able to feel more knowledgeable about something there. I’ve loved the code camps, so hopefully I’ll be able to give back.

Parenting: I need to stop yelling so much. It’s just easier to be louder than the kids, instead of stopping what I’m doing and walking over to them and making sure they’re listing. I don’t know how to quantify/objective-ize (is that a word) this, but it’s something I’m working on. Also, we all need to be better organized about our mornings – which means I need to do stuff at night to make this happen.

Housekeeping: I am not a housewife, but I need to be better at this. And I need to get the kids involved in chores, now that they’re old enough. I know my husband would prefer not having a slob of a wife, and a house the same.

Knitting: Cables. Completion. I need to complete stuff, and do something with cables. And take more pictures.

Writing: I need to be more diligent about blogging, even if the topic is not related to yesterday’s. There are enough interesting things in my head that I should be able to come up with something each day. And I need to get Cinderfella finished – it’s finished in my mind, but I need to make myself write it.

Reading: I’m on God Emperor of Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 4)' target=_blank>God Emperor of Dune (Book 4), and I’d like to finish the original series, then the two add-ons that the son wrote from the outlines. I’m not sure I want to read the prequels, since you already know what happened, but I’ll decide later.

Web Site Management: Now that I’m getting back into web development, I hope I’ll make the time to do some sprucing up around here.

Personal: Okay, weight loss was a non-success this year. I’m not using the f-word, since you kind of have to try in order to fail, and since my tries were very inconsistent, I’m not counting. However, new job has minimal commute (I mean, 1 mile, maybe from daycare to office), with no chances of drive thru, so that’s good. However, if I want to stop and get something, there are options. And since I’m so close… Well, I’m trying not to to that too often. What I really need to do, of course, is spend time on the treadmill. I’ll think about how that can happen, and get back to you when I have a more concrete goal.

Okay, the above are loosely defined, so next week, my plan is to have, for each area above, a well-defined, achieveable objective. Keep your fingers crossed.

Happy Holidays!

I asked for guidelines, and I get exact present specs. This is actually the 4^th year I’ve been wish list compiler. Here, names redacted, are what people sent in. You may notice some common themes – we all loved Buck Rogers as kids. Most of us like sc-fi/fantasy. There are no Dallas fans allowed (grounds for disownment). Hubby’s Parents visit, but are not usually included in the recipient list – in other words, I give them a slightly modified version, so that the girls get different presents.

18 yr old Daughter
Converse Hi-tops – size 8 ½ in women, 6 ½ in men
Jewelry
Sony Cybershot W200 Digital Camera
Golden Girls DVDs (any season)
Lucky Never Slevin DVD
Ocean’s Thirteen DVD
Knocked Up DVD
Payless Gift Card
Foot Locker Gift Card
Famous Footwear Gift Card
DSW Gift Card
Target Gift Card
Wal-Mart Gift Card
Torrid Gift Card

5.9 yr old Daughter
Disney/Other Movie Books – Learn to Read level
Barbies
Horses
Favorite Color (this month) is green
Arts/Crafts requiring minimal assistance

4.15 yr old Daughter
Whatever Cailin gets (within reason)
Power Rangers (any kind)
Favorite Color (this month) is purple
Barbies and or Baby Doll things
Arts/Crafts requiring minimal assistance

Me
Redskins Stuff
Die Hard Series on DVD
Buck Rodgers Series on DVD
Young Ones (every stoopid episode) series DVD
Knitting Calendar
Blue/Silver jewelry

Hubby
Eagles Stuff
Seinfeld Season 9 DVD
Book: Semi Homemade 20 minute Meals by Sandra Lee
fFolkes DVD

15 Yr Old Nephew
Nintendo PSP
Ghost Rider (the DVD or anything)
Dukes of Hazzard (DVD or TV series)
Hero clix
marver super hero related anything (except superman)
godzilla collectible figures
anything with a rebel flag
Undertaker 15 and O (DVD)
Hulk hogan anthology
clothes with any of the following. Lynyrd skynyrd, AC/DC, Pink Floyd,
Guns and Roses and Avenged seven fold
spiderman 3 game for PS2 or dvds
civil war game for PS2
Transformers DVD or PS2 game

10 Yr old Nephew
Magic cards Lorwyn edition
Hero Clix
Hero clix booster packs

4.15 yr old Niece
Leapfrog phonics writing desk
Leapster games (she only has disney princess so far)
Baby Alive
Barbie Island princess accesories (i think i'm getting the doll)
any barbie stuff really...
Barbie and Tanner
Barbie cash register
moon sand
playdoh kits
aqua doodle mat
candyland castle game
wacka mole game
Hungry hungry hippos

Sister In Law
subscription to Paula Deen's magazine
Jewelry-gemstones, hoop earrings, bracelets
starbucks stuff. Like a travel mug with no handle...
laptop lap desk

Brother (38, but you wouldn’t know it)
Magic The Gathering TCG 10th Edition Core Set Fat Pack
1000+ Assorted Magic the Gathering Cards
Magic the Gathering What Color T-Shirt, XX-Large
(5) Magic the Gathering MTG 10th Tenth Edition X Core Set Booster Pack
Magic the Gathering Coldsnap Fat Pack
Magic the Gathering Future Sight Fat Pack
Magic The Gathering TCG Planar Chaos Fat Pack
Magic the Gathering: MTG Lorwyn - Sealed Fat Pack
100 BCW 9 Pocket Storage Sheets for Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey, Yugioh, Pokemon and Other Collector Cards That Fit in Standard Sized Pages
Ultra Pro The Magic the Gathering (MTG) Ciruelos' Dragon Playmat - Limited Edition (Black)
Player's Choice Gold Sleeves - Standard Size Deck Protectors
Player's Choice Purple Sleeves - Standard Size Deck Protectors
Player's Choice Silver Sleeves - Standard Size Deck Protectors
Player's Choice Red Sleeves - Standard Size Deck Protectors
Player's Choice White Sleeves - Standard Size Deck Protectors
Poker Secrets From Poker Champs DVD
Maverick DVD
Rounders (Collector's Edition) DVD
Tilt - Season One DVD
NFL Washington Redskins Poker Guard with black velvet pouch
Washington Redskins Monopoly
Washington Redskins NFL Polo by Reebok (Adult XX-Large)
YuGiOh GX Card Game 2007 Series 1 Collector Tin Set Elemental Hero Grand Neos
Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Machine Re-Volt Structure Deck
YuGiOh GX Card Game 2007 Series 1 Collector Tin Set Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus
2007 YuGiOh! Collectors Holiday Tin: Destiny Hero Plasma
YuGiOh! Ultimate Edition 2! Dragon Master Knight with 2 Dark Revelations Volume 3 Booster Packs + Ultimate Dueling Guide
Yugioh Jaden Yuki and Syrus Truesdale 2 Starter Decks Sets
Yugioh Blaze of Destruction Structure Deck
Yu-gi-oh! Structure Deck - Fury From the Deep
Yu-Gi-Oh! Lost Millenium Special Edition Box
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Collection Volume 1
2006 Magic The Gathering Time Spiral Fat Pack
Player's Choice Black Sleeves - Standard Size Deck Protectors
Magic the Gathering: Core Set - Tenth - 10th - Edition Sealed Fat Pack
Magic The Gathering - 10th / Tenth Edition Theme Deck Set of 5
Caro's Book of Poker Tells by Mike Caro (Author)
Harrington on Hold 'em: Expert Strategies for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. III--The Workbook (Harrington on Hold'em)
Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 2: Endgame by Dan Harrington (Author), Bill Robertie (Author)
Doyle Brunson's Super System: A Course in Power Poker by Doyle Brunson (Author)
Doyle Brunson's Super System II by Doyle Brunson (Author)
The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence by Josh Waitzkin
Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device
Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman
Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives by Dan Millman
Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies by Sol Stein
Book: Plot & Structure: (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish)by James Scott Bell (Author)
Book: Techniques of the Selling Writer

9 Yr Old Nephew
Wrestling toys- John Cena
Rocky Toy
Steelers stuff
Playstation 2 games: action and sports games ( no T for teen or M for Mature games)
Chris Brown's new CD Edited version
Kanye West's New CD Edited version
Hideki Matsui memorabilia (Yankee player)
Gilbert Arenas jersey (black and Gold One)
Steelers Helmet
Clothes

32 yr old Sister (due in Feb)
Buck Roger's series on DVD
Flip mittens
Carol Burnett Series on DVD
Hair things
gift certificates

Sister’s SO
A Job
Sports Illustrated Red Sox World Series DVD
Best of Eddie Murphy Saturday Night Live
Miami Heat, Boston Redsox, or Pittsburgh Steelers Memorabilia
Gift certificates

Sister’s SO’s Mother
Anything butterflies

36 yr old Sister
Cuddlekins Black Bear 12" Plush by Wild Republic
College Logo Pendant - UC Berkeley Golden Bears Offered by FanTheFire
SHINY STONE BEAR'S CLAW Paw Pewter PENDANT Necklace Offered by Dan's Jewelers Sterling Silver Bear Pendant Offered by Sabrina Silver
Star Wars Darth Vader with Lightsaber Lucite Keychain Offered by Countdown Enterprises
DVD Buck Rogers in the 25th Century - The Complete Epic Series
DVD Battlestar Galactica - The Complete Epic Series (Limited Edition Cylon Head Packaging
DVD Charlotte's Web (Widescreen Edition) New Version
Book Three in Death by J.D. Robb (Author) 

Brother In Law 
Books are always good (softcover perferred)
Mort by Terry Pratchett (book 1)
Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett (book 2)
Soul Music by Terry Pratchett (book 3)
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett (book 4)
Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett (book 5)
The Harlequin by Laural K. Hamilton
Mistral's Kiss by Laural K. Hamilton
For A Few Demons More by Kim Harrison
Bitten by Kelly Armstrong
Tyrannosaur Canyon by Douglas Preston
The Wheel of Darkness by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Movies (widescreen):
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (released dec. 11)
Transformers
1776
Ducksoup
Night at the Opera
The Thin Man
After The Thin Man
Another Thin Man
Shadow of the Thin Man
The Thin Man Goes Home
Song of the Thin Man
All That Jazz
Key Largo
Clothes - 3x shirts, 46 jeans

60 Yr Old Man (my dad)
Left & Right Throttle Rockers JC Whitney.com/J & P Cycles.com
Belgian Waffle Iron & Mix GoldenMalted.com
Portable DVD Player
Western Books / Movies
12volt Cook Ware

63 Yr Old Lady (my mom)
Slots disc WMS II (I have I) from casino center.com.
light weight socks (crew)
size 3x tops
help with Gramma
Rascal Flatts newest CD (Still Feels Good)
Newest books from James Patterson, Robert B Parker, Catherine Coulter, Michael Connolly, Janet Ivanovich (Discounted only, or I'll wait for used book store)

90 Year old Matriarch (my grandmother)
warm socks
chocolate candy
flannel night gown
Large print historical fiction without sex
Pictures of grandkids

Are you ready? I begin my online shopping Wednesday. We have the wonderful amazon.com credit card, that we use like cash, and pay off every month, and the rebates are in the form of amazon.com gift certs. So, I take my gift certs, double that at amazon, and try to spend as little as possible else where. We are prime members which saves on shipping, and the purchases on amazon itself are worth triple toward the rebate gift certs.

Knitting Secret Pal has come to a close, and Mandy has received the final package I sent. Her niece is soooo cute. I miss babies. (I’m not going to cry about early menopause, I’m not, I’m not, I’m NOT!)

BTW, I found a cute little site today – I was reading a sharepoint tech blog, and they sent me here. Hysterical! For techies, or any kind of daily computer user, it’s a must read.

I finally made it to the mail store, and got my two packages in the mail on Wednesday. One to my knitting secret pal, and one to my sister and her husband. His birthday was last week, and hers is on December 20. I’ll send them their Christmas package separately.

I finally folded a bunch of clothes and got the 5.9 yr old to put hers away. The 4.2 yr old will do hers tonite. Mine, well, the pile is at least migrating toward my closet.

I finally watched Bones (the one with the kiss) from Tuesday. Very Interesting. Now we have to wait until January for new episodes – it looks like some have already been produced, so hopefully the Writers’ Strike (go writers!) won’t affect that show too much.

I finally did some knitting last nite, but I don’t have pics. I’ll produce some this weekend, I promise.

(Warning, geek content ahead!)

Microsoft SharePoint (tm) is a collaboration platform that enables quick collaboration setup and usage within the MS Windows platform. It is built upon .net, and integrates MS Office, and can often be deployed and customized without any code.

Sample sites built on SharePoint include Viacom, Canon Technology Solutions, Florida’s Orange County Public Schools, and Spinebreakers.

Custom “web parts” – the sections that make up a page – can be created, including many codeless solutions. Searching across diverse sources – including databases, excel files, word docs, pdfs – can be set up.

Collaboration – shared work – is a cornerstone of SharePoint, and its major selling point. If you’re doing a significant amount of collaborative work within MS Office, SharePoint may be a boon to your productivity.

My 3^rd and final package from my knitting secret pal arrived today. And, since I found the camera last week, here are some yarn pR0n pictures for your drooling pleasure:

Oooh, blue. And Soft. This will be something for ME, most likely.

Blue cotton. Destined for my kitchen. The ball with green is called Sea Mist, the other three are Faded Denim.

Katia Diana. Very Soft, and made with a hint of Angora.

And the non-knitting goodies?

The 4 yr old and I hit the chocolate already. I’ll share the Neccos with the kids, and the fruit lifesavers. But the butter rum will be stashed for purely selfish moments.

And the secret pal? Why, it was Cassandra! She also has three daughters – hopefully less monstrous than mine.

And my final package will go in the mail tomorrow – between having to purchase a new car, and getting a new job, things were crazy around here.

I went to Code Camp on Saturday, and won a license to JetBrains Resharper, and Dot Trace Profiler. Retail value 6 hunnerd bucks. All cause I had tivo'd and watched Hackers recently, and could identify the soundtrack.

Anyhoo, I started a new job on Friday, and so far, so good. Lots of good stuff to learn and do. I may be posting geeky bits more and more. My goal is to learn enough about something interesting to be able to give a presentation at the next code camp in March.

A new topic here. Questions from a four year old.

“Mommy, why do birds build nests?”

And the monsters got up extremely early. Still working on adjusting the time clock. We’re up, had breakfast, and the kitchen has been cleaned. I cleaned the microwave, and hand washed the glass plate. Hubby is now cleaning off the formal dining room table – the repository for all the stuff we don’t want to put away since pretty much Easter (or even last Christmas).

I finally decided that until I was happy with the knitwhit prototype, I wasn’t going to port it to the web. Also, whatever job I end up having, the web version will be my practice area. Currently, there are four web versions, all using different methods of programming, with pretty much the same database. So, it’s in Access for now, until I get the pattern database stuff finalized, and then I’ll make it multi-user, then I’ll port it to the web and start asking for beta users. It WON’T be another ravelry – purely a project management app, not a social one.

I have two packages to get in the mail between now and Monday – one for my knitting secret pal, and one for my sister.

I’ve made a little progress on my NaNo project, but I’m behind, and I’m actually using it as a reward for my must dos, rather than the other way around. Otherwise no laundry would get accomplished.

I’ve lost ten pounds, also – mostly by not eating or eating one or two of the one-hundred calorie snack packs. And drinking gallons of iced tea.

Well, the clock is chiming the hour, so the girls have to be given their cleaning instructions. We’re all working this morning.

According to the recruiters, nearly everything is a “Hot Opportunity” or a “Perfect Match to your skill set”. And yes, it seems this is a good time for me to be looking, right now. Govt contracts have been awarded or enhanced (thank you, taxpayers). People here in the DC area are in a state of transition. (Which, for this area, is the norm, but it’s a little high right now, since it’s after the school year has started.) My particular skills (and an odd mix of geekiness they are) are not necessarily the norm, so when some recruiter sees my resume on Monster, or Dice, or Washington Post Jobs, they gravitate. I’m even getting identical job descriptions from competing recruiters, which always makes me chuckle, whether I’m interested or not.

So, I’ve been on one real interview, and two meetings with “Recruiter/Staffing firm” people. Not bad for 7 days out of work. And I could have done more, if my personal requirements weren’t so limiting.

My biggest challenge is looking business-like. The phrase “bull in a china shop” is very close to my awareness outside of my home, not the least because I get clumsy when I get nervous.

And I’m definitely not in the market for the constant increase in wages, which causes disbelief in many. So many of the recruiters automatically add 5 to 10 K to what I just made as a starting point, and that’s not the kind of image I want to present.

So, this may take awhile (hey, I’m catching up on the dreaded laundry), or I may get the “Perfect Match” sometime next week. Either way, I’m trying to make the most of it. I’m volunteering for the book fair next week (yummmmm, book fairs), and I’m doing plenty of decluttering and catching up on house work that I would otherwise ignore, and I’ve started NaNoWriMo, and I’m catching up on sleep. I’m knitting a little bit – I’m actually using knitting as a reward for getting the unpleasant housework done.