Let's Get This Year Started!

It's the first weekend of the new year!

I am looking forward to 2015!

Unless you are new to Out of My Hat, you already know that I am just days away from retiring from life as an air traffic controller. Okay, maybe weeks would be more like it -- 4 weeks. Yep, just 28 days; fifteen actual shifts.

I am really looking forward to this next phase of life!

Here are a few of the things that I am looking forward to in the coming year:

* Writing more.
     Yeah, I know, I've said that before. But I really do like to write and rarely feel like I have the time to just sit and write or to do the research to write well. I have several projects in mind to go along with posting on my blogs.

* Reading more
     It seems that I just don't devote the time to proper reading. I say "proper reading" because I read crap all day long--articles on the internet, blogs by friends and other sources, news stories, health and fitness how to stuff, etc., etc.
     I want to read for study and enjoyment. It seems like it has been a long time since I've allowed myself that kind of treat.

* Cooking more
     I am really looking forward to doing more cooking and eating at home more often. I hope that Chris will be looking forward to this, as well. I want to try out some new recipes and I really want to take more control over what we eat.
  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that we will still do our share of helping to stimulate the local restaurant economy by eating out several times per week.

* More magic
     School programs, churches, camps.

*More ministry
     I am really not certain where this is going to go.

*Gardening
     This can go along with cooking more. I think that I would like gardening; I've just never felt like devoting the time to it. It may turn out that way this year. We will see.

*More travel
     If I can manage to keep up with the stuff around the house during the week while Chris is still working, then we can have her time off to do what we want to do. I hope for some short trips to see more of the country around us and some long trips that involve beaches and lounging about without a care in the world!
     I am also looking forward to a few trips to see my very spread out family!

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons for wanting to get to the end of this month and to that long awaited retirement.

I hope to have plenty of stories to write about and share with you in the coming year. Maybe my travels will bring me to where some of my virtual friends and readers live. If so, I would love to meet you at your favorite local place and share a meal or a cup of coffee. Better yet, if there is a major league or minor league baseball team around, we can enjoy a game and a ball park dog!

Here's to a grand 2015!
Let's get to it!

John <><