Plan Name: Blitzen

The Plan needs a holiday friend. When I return to my parents’ home, my schedule is irrevocably screwed. I go to bed earlier and wake with the sun. I rarely take morning walks. I eat like there’s no tomorrow. I tend toward sitting with people and talking or watching TV (Save me from A [Freaking] Christmas Story. The distaste I feel for that movie knows no bounds. Or Bond. Hours and hours of 007.) rather than doing something semi-productive.

Blitzen is going to ensure that Christmas is merry and productive! What makes up Blitzen?

Merry 1. Health

• Walk each morning. Chienne enjoys it and it’s a good start to the day.
• Aerobics each night. My parents have also dropped the habit of evening exercise and I hope to drag them along with me in this goal.
• Cookies and sweets should be taken individually. No handfuls (or bowlfuls) taken to the living room so I can eat until sick.

Merry 2. Professional

• Project Q (I’m forgetting which letters I’ve used): Write abstract. Seriously. Write the fricking abstract.
• Project X: It’s back. It needs some work. But I have a strict plan and reasoning for said plan. I also have a textbook that I’m taking home to provide support for said plan. Get that done, graphs printed and arguments written.
• Grant: The proverbial coal in the stocking, but those revisions need to happen. At least get through Boss’s suggestions and try to get more text created (and deleted – if the old stuff doesn’t work, lose it.)

Merry 3. God

• Read Anne Lamott.
• Renew focus on morning journaling and devotionals.

Merry 4. Family
This isn’t a goal, per se. If I’m there, they demand attention.

Parents (nearly shouting from the kitchen): “Is Katie napping? I want to go out.”
Other Parent: “She probably wants to go.”
Mom: “You ask her.”
Dad: “She sometimes yells if you wake her up.”
Mom: “She always gets irritated at me. You only get yelled at sometimes. You go.”
Dad (very gently): “Katie? Are you asleep? Do you want to get up, get ready and go somewhere?”

Or...

Little One (patting my nose until I open my eyes): “Aunt Katie! Katie, Katie, Katie!” (She never gets yelled at. I’m not evil.)

But it’s constant family togetherness, which is rather enjoyable for me.

• Try to enjoy it rather than complain about it.
  
• Avoid copious yelling when they wake me up.
  

I think that’s it for Blitzen. It’s time for the animals to get loaded into the car, along with my overnight bag (trunk is too full of presents to fit a suitcase) and work stuff. If I can’t find time to update much while at home, at least there will be Blizten accountability posts. Good times for all, I know.

Merry Christmas!! And if you’re traveling today, it’d be good if you stayed out of my way. Thanks.