1. Go to a drive-in movie. Sunshine and I have been wanting to go to a drive-in movie for awhile now, but a combination of bad timing and bad movies always seem to get in the way. We’re going to make it happen this year, though. There are simply too few drive-in theatres around and too much fun to be had.  For anybody who hasn’t been to a drive-in movie…you’re totally missing out.

2. Spend some time on Prince Edward Island. Sunshine is tentatively scheduled to run a half-marathon in the fall on PEI.  What I would love to do is spend a weekend there…enjoying the sights and sounds of the beautiful island. I haven’t been there in a few years, when my parents took my daughter and I to PEI for a week’s vacation.  There are a ton of pics from that trip, but I think they’re all on my previous blog. If anybody’s even slightly interested, I can create a post to show them off.

3. Reach my weight-loss goal of 200lbs. I’m below 230lbs for the first time in I don’t know HOW long, and I feel like I’ve gone over a small hurdle in my life.  I’m fighting a daily battle against junk food, and all I want to do is get to a point where I can look in the mirror and not feel repulsed.  I know I can do it and I feel like I can win this particular battle. Can I reach 200lbs?  I honestly don’t know…but I’m on my way to finding out.

4. Finish reading The Lost Symbol. LOL…I’ve had this book for almost two years now.  Sunshine gave it to me as a gift for Christmas (because I asked for it) and I’m still not even half-way through it.  And what’s worse is that I actually LIKE the book. Not sure why I haven’t just taken the time to sit down and read the rest of it…I guess I’ve never been a “sit down and read” kind of guy.  But I want to do it…so I’m going to do it.  No more excuses.

5. Finish decorating my house. I moved into this house back in December and to be completely honest, I’m not loving it.  I haven’t had the inclination or the time (or the money) to change the place to make it look like I want it to look.  But I want to…I’m going to be here for awhile so I need to accept it and make it my own. Would I like a “woman’s touch”?  Probably…but I need to grow up and decorate it in a way that says “ME”.

6. Buy a new camera. I’m not a greedy guy.  I’m not looking for a $1,000 professional camera here.  I just need to save up a couple hundred (maybe a little less) and find a solid digital camera on eBay.  My dad recently bought one for Sunshine because I dropped hers on a cobblestone street in San Juan, Puerto Rico back in March.  She’s been using my crappy little Kodak camera in the meantime. The camera dad bought for her is pretty nice, I gotta say…and I really want to try to save up enough money to buy one myself.

7. Get a family portrait with ALL of our kids in one spot. With Rugrat tentatively sheduled to come visit the second week of August, that means both Sunshine and I will have that entire week off to spend together with all of our kids. It will definitely be hectic, but I think it’ll also be a blast.  BUt something I definitely want is to have a picture with all of us together…and one done professionally. Last summer my ex-wife took a picture of all of us together and it wasn’t quite the masterpiece I wanted, so hopefully we can get ‘er done this summer.

8. Become a better blogger. I’ve lost a bit of inspiration over the past few months since mom passed away, but I know that I love to write and want to continue writing.  I also know that I’m pretty decent at what I do and if I really apply myself I can become the blogger I’ve always wanted to become.  In addition, I keep putting off my “Guilty Pleasures” blog…something that I started but haven’t continued.  I want to because I think it would be fun.  I just need to stop procrastinating and being lazy and jumping into it head first.  I think I’d really love what I end up creating.

9. Enjoy life…especially the life I live and how I live it. One of the things I’ve been working on recently is trying to love myself. As difficult as that has been, it’s also helped me to remember how much I enjoy living life.  Is my life perfect? Not by any stretch. But it’s a good enough life that I don’t’ want to take it for granted. It’s funny…this past weekend I told Sunshine that sometimes I don’t feel like she “stops to smell the roses” and enjoy what’s around her.  It’s definitely advice that I need to consider for myself.

10. Smile every day. It’s easy. It’s fun. It can make someone else’s day without you even realizing it. There is ALWAYS a reason to smile at least once during the course of every single day. My task…heck, my personal mission…is to never forget that.