Quarterly Report to the Shareholders, Fall 2011, part I

Blogging

Happy New Year.  As you see, we are still here, and here we shall remain.  MRtB is a going concern too, albeit a concern that goes very slowly.

The most fanatically alert readers may have noticed changes in the wind.  For instance, the title of the blog has changed, although the masthead has not yet caught up.  It's taking the name of my favorite of the newer features, which [[pretention alert!!]] is in my mind something of a metaphor for the attitude towards life that I try to imply here in the "content."  It also sheds a lame-ass name that I picked when I didn't fully understand what a blog was, let alone what this one would be.

There will be six more Wednesday Quizzes.  I've ridden that horse as far as it will go.  And, thank god, only a couple more Flag Fridays.  Content will shuffle around accordingly to fill the gaps.  I hope to keep it interesting for people of a certain temperament who like looking at interesting things and thinking about interesting books and enjoying their place at the banquet of life.  And I'll start doing movies again.

And this will be the last Quarterly Report.

Reading 

I don't really need to give you quarterly stats on reading.  If a book is interesting enough to talk about, I'll talk about it.

Filmed Entertainment 

Same deal.

Geohashing

I'll continue to list my Geohashing exploits over in the sidebar, in the unlikely event that you are interested.  Of course, I very much encourage you to take up geohashing yourself.  It's marvelous.  If you would like help getting started, please ask!  I'd be happy to help!  With missionary zeal!

The Chess Project

I'm still puttering away at my project of playing chess with someone from every country.  Again, there's a section in the sidebar about it.

Quilting

I'm nearing completion on two pieces and well along on the piecing of a third.  I don't really intend on waking up the quilt blog again, but I'll show off anything I finish here.  Probably on a Thursday.

House and Garden

No unusual activity.

Music

No unusual activity.

Counties

No new counties.  If and when I DO get new ones, I will probably be unable to resist telling you all about it.

Running

This time last year, I had a comically elaborate set of running goals, all attached to my strangely comprehensive bookkeeping system.  I got all of them, including the ones I never told you about.  On December 31, I went on a medium length run that (1) made December the "best-ever" December in terms of miles run (since I started keeping track in 2009).  Every month of 2011 was the "best-ever" month.  And (2) took me over 800 miles for the year.  (My goals had been 500 or 600 miles.)  Meanwhile, there are only a few little scraps of streets left to explore on the big running map.

My running goal for 2012 is to run 800 miles.

Bicycling

At some point this year, I realized that as a city boy cycling is a fantastic form of dry-season medium-length transport, but not a very fun way to get exercise on a regular basis.  No goals.  I'll continue to track it, however, and post any notable accomplishment over in the "Prowess" section of the (very comprehensive) sidebar.

Gardening

If anything remarkable happens in the garden, such as another highly stinky inflorescence, I'll be sure to let you know.

Caffeine and Cola

This will be among the categories of the "Month to Month Resolutions," the goal-setting feature that will replace these Quarterly Reports.

Weight

Also to be a category of the Month to Month Resolutions.

Tomatoes

I should pay a little more attention to my diet.

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Any questions from the floor may be posed at this time.  Or any other time.