Life is just speeding by and I don’t know what even happened to April – though my favourite oldest child turned … 27! (ZOMGWTFBBQ!)

On with reckoning (I’m predicting a distinct lack of success) …

TL;DR version – of 12 projects: 4 achieved; 5 partially achieved; 3 not achieved.

I’m predicting May will not be much better.

1. war on sloth
   – running at least 3x per week / daily exercise – core + glutes (even 5 minutes is better than nothing).
   NOT ACHIEVED: I didn’t run with any regularity, I unintentionally abandoned the core + glutes. I should probably get back onto both of those things.

2. war on graffiti
   – never let the graffiti on the front of ThePalace(OfLove) remain unpainted for more than 24 hours. Always photograph, always report.
   PARTIALLY ACHIEVED: Our wall was tagged at the end of the month opportunistically during a break in the relentless rain.
   It took a little more than 24 hours to repaint because of aforesaid rain and I was forced to do the repainting in the dark after work. I like to paint the whole area and not just over the tag because it becomes all patchy and yucky looking. I find the repainting quite meditative – but I would cheerfully throttle Jesop and incomprehensible-bubble-writing-loser.

3. war on duopolies
   – minimise shopping at Coles / Woolies and their associated companies.
   – support small, independent businesses
   ACHIEVED!: ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SEVEN DAYS!!!! Screw you, Coles + Woolies.

4. war on clutter
   – get rid of everything we don’t need or want or things we have been holding on to for stupid reasons
   PARTIALLY ACHIEVED: We lost momentum for a bit, but I am sure we’ll get back on that thing. Still a bit to go.

5. war on chub
   – continue with amazingly successful 5:2 diet
   – no booze (except for holidays)
   PARTIALLY ACHIEVED: Probably too much wine was had.
   5:2 has become ingrained. I cannot even begin to describe its success.

6. war on unnecessary spending
   – don’t buy anything that is not absolutely essential – none of this fudging with the definition of essential.
   – take lunch to work at least 4 days per week
   NOT ACHIEVED:Yeah, no. Fabric, patterns, stuff

7. war on the uncreative (apologies for the lame project title, alternative suggestions welcome!)
   – make one thing per month
   – blog at least every second day
   – take at least one photo every day
   ACHIEVED!: I made very excellent and quite-well-finished pyjama pants for Don. I have been planning-in-my-head other garments.
   Blogging was average of every two days.
   Photography was happening, but ideally would be happening more.

8. war on blandness
   – read good books | watch good films and television (at least once a week)
   – eat good new things (two per month?)
   – listen to one improving podcast per week
   – avoid reading the increasingly dreadfulsmh.com.au
   PARTIALLY ACHIEVED!: Yes! cooking loads of new 5:2 things.
   Yes, ramped up the podcasts – I am so, so in love with back to work
   Yes, no smh for FOUR whole months. I am pretty pleased with this and tell people at every opportunity.
   Yes, films + tv – more on the tv end, yay netflix. We still have a great deal of unwatched DVDs.
   I am still making my way through getting things done. I read two pages in bed and my kindle falls on my face because I am asleep. That is not to dismiss it because there is some very good stuff in there. Need to get onto some fiction.

9. war on the shoddy / shonky in ThePalace(OfLove)
   – have the leaks fixed
   – finish the last bits of the paintering
   – get quotes for balcony sliding door | shutters | conservatory
   PARTIALLY ACHIEVED: Oh goodness. The rain! so much leaking. Not a little damage. Two insurance claims – but hey, at least our ceiling didn’t collapse like our recently returned neighbours.

10. war on our genX slackerness
    – get our finances in order
    – get our estate planning in order
    ACHIEVED!: We need to have some power of attorney documents signed, but financial planner stuff is progressing nicely. When we receive an email which says I’m going to tell you straight now, but you will need to do some serious work on this we are very pleased. This is exactly the sort of tough love we were hoping for when we engaged him.

11. war on the career (see genX slackerness)
    – ramp up the professionalism in dress, grooming and manner.
    – just knuckle down and do this advanced manageressing course. FIVE times a week.
    – take this “I am expecting big things from you in the next six months” seriously and action accordingly.
    PARTIALLY ACHIEVED: I have done absolutely no course work.
    I’m more groomed than I have ever been in my life.
    I still don’t know what the big things are, but I am kicking the proverbial and taking names.

12. war on poor self-esteem
    – just stop entirely reading the social media accounts of those who make me feel inadequate (of course, this is not you dear reader)
    ACHIEVED!: Still keep-on-keeping on.