10 Things For 2014

Looking back on previous lists like these, I am really really bad at making things happen. With that said...

1. Make Things Happen.
I need to stop finding excuses to not do something and actually just do those things. From the smallest of things to the largest of things. Just make it happen.

2. Complete the Next Album.
I've got 14 songs for the new album ready to go and another 12 possible ones hanging out in the wings. I am ready to put this thing together.

3. Lose Weight.
Broken record. Cliche. Blah blah blah.

4. Be Positive.
Another thing I am so terribly bad at. I always focus on the negative. I am constantly worried something awful is about to happen. I need to stop that. It's not healthy.

5. Spend More Time With My Dad.
My dad doesn't have a whole lot of years left. Or , at least, you wouldn't think so, but he's crazy resilient. Anyway, he's not doing well and it gets harder and harder to go out there to see him for all of the reasons, but I need to make more of an effort. Especially since the weekly phone call is not something that can happen anymore.

6. Continue To Make a Music Space for Myself in My Home.
It's been a long goal of mine to carve out a space in the basement that I can write and practice and work on demos and all that stuff. But I don't really like basements. They are cold and damp and full of spiders. I have a room in the basement right now that is painted and has carpet and a door and some furniture. But its still really uninviting and it really sucks to grab something and have a spider surprise you. I need to make it spider proof. Anyone know how to do that?

7. Buy an Electric Guitar.
I really want one. A good one.

8. Relearn the Piano and Get a Bit More Technical with Music. 
I never really knew how to play. As a child, I bought a couple of books that taught me chords and then a couple of sheet music books of 80s power ballads and stumbled my way through Gloria Estefan classics. But I'd like to be better. I'd like to be able to look at some sheet music, look at the piano, and at least know where to put my fingers with less hesitation. I also am not very technical and gear knowledgeable. I hate to be one of those cliched female musicians who doesn't know/understand what all the knobs do on my amp or electric guitar (when I do finally get one). Time to get into learning mode and not be afraid to ask questions.

9. Learn How to Play Guitar with a Pick.
Yep. I cannot play with a pick. Hence, the long fake fingernails. It's like I have no depth perception and  miss the strings 40% of the time I try to strum with a pick. And that's just general strumming. Also why I'm bad at Badminton. This is not a problem with an acoustic, but with an electric, the plastic fingernails just don't sound very good.

10. Paint the Kitchen Wall and Get the Kitchen Light Fixture Changed and Paint the Closet Doors
These are two things I could do tomorrow if I wanted to, so hopefully by the end of 2014 I can say that I did these things. I have been living with this awful gold light fixture in the kitchen for 8 years and I hate it so much. But it's not just changing the fixture, there are wires there, too, and that's why it hasn't been done yet. There is also a wall in the kitchen I want to paint a bright, fun color just to liven things up a bit. And today I decided I want to paint our ugly, white, 1986 style sliding bedroom closet doors another color to make them look somewhat better.

Those are my goals for 2014.

Here's to a wonderful year!