catgoat

catgoat's personal blog!

Talking with my coworkers about house stuff and damn it’s expensive to have anything redone. I really want to learn more DIY skills but I’m always really nervous I’ll fuck up something catastrophically lol.

I also find dealing with contractors to be a little nervewracking. I’ve had less than amazing experiences with a few.

There’s only 3 rooms I very earnestly want to gut and redo, but they’re all difficult ones! I was thinking of maybe throwing an architect some money to come up with plans for the house... like having a professional inform the overall look and feel of the house would be really nice? Maybe even tell me how I can use the space better. But I am worried because I find it hard to speak up for myself and talk about what I want for a space to contractors/strangers?? I do have some kind of specific wants but yea. Hmm.

Like I really want to slap a half bath somewhere and leave the current bathroom for a big tub and shower combo for having a spa time.... ah well. I’ll think about it more I guess 🤔🤔

this is kind of a scratch notebook/post I guess, for #travel plans for this upcoming year? If anyone I know wants to organize a trip some where, honestly, I am so down, just message me @catgoat@meemu.org 💜

places I wanna go:

  • helsinki for sure, maybe more rural parts of Finland 🇫🇮 too
  • montreal at least once, but quebec city would also be dope
  • rochester??
  • maybe a seattle trip if I can get someone else to go with me? Or somewhere else on the west coast.
  • provincetown weekend trip

I'm open to suggestions, if you want me to visit HELL YEAH I AM DOWN.

Which I guess Helsinki and Seattle I went to last year, but Seattle was for a business trip and I was alone so it wasn't the best experience? It would be better to go with someone so random dudes don't bother me again.

I am thinking a weekend road trip somewhere in the spring and possibly a Helsinki trip. Montreal would be awesome in the summer because the drive is awesome. I don't know what the best time to visit Seattle is though.

Thinking about it, I don't think I'll plan on any cons... trips with small groups or to visit friends are more fun, for me personally. I'm just not a big convention person.

New year new me and all that. I guess it's as good a time as any to reflect and write down what I want to get out of this new year. 2018 could have been better or worse, but I want to focus on the positives and set some good, fun goals for this coming year.

Here's some positive stuff from 2018:

  • Lots of house renovations,
  • Learned to use my first big boy power tool (reciprocating saw)
  • Destroyed a whole deck
  • Put up a dog run fence
  • Took my first flight in 11 years to Seattle to attend Build
  • Had the best donut ever in Seattle
  • Took my first flight out of the country, ever.
  • Traveled Keflavik/Iceland for 36 hours by myself and saw geysers, natural hot springs, and the coolest scenery ever (!!)
  • Traveled to Helsinki and visited amazing pals
  • Got to meet Spoon in person!!!
  • Ate some reindeer, Finnish blood pancakes, and karelian rice pasties.
  • Saw the GP of Figure Skating Helsinki and therefore Yuzuru Hanyu live!!
  • Danny's socialization improved a ton and he's going to daycare regularly
  • Rearranged living room for parties
  • Got a raise and good bonus.
  • Did better at keeping things clean overall.
  • Met so many amazing and awesome new folks on #mastodon <333

Now for 2019, here's some things I'd like to set as goals:

  • More outings with local friends
  • Try to do three trips this year to distant places (spring, summer, fall)
  • More local road trips (montreal, rochester?)
  • Just more #travel overall!
  • Host more parties! (every other month?)
  • Plant an easy-ish to care for garden (april thru summer)
  • Start interior first floor renovations, like the laundry room and back hallway, or the kitchen.
  • Improve focus at work and refresh myself on some of the tech aspects.
  • The usual #diet/#exercise. I'd like to track calories at least 5 days a week and work out 2-3 times per week!

Hopefully I can keep on track for at least some of these. I want to make 2019 better than 2018. Here's to this year's #resolutions!!!