2018 New Year's Resolutions

It's been a while since I've made resolutions, possibly because I'm bad at keeping them.  But you, dear reader, can hold me to these.  I'm resolved to do these things this year.

1. I resolve to play golf at least once a month, when conditions allow.  (To that end, Mrs. BA did give me a gift certificate to play at least one round, once the ground is no longer frozen solid.)
2. I resolve to go to the movies at least once a month.  We do go to the movies as a family fairly often, but I would like to go to the movies (and maybe dinner) with Mrs. BA a little more regularly.  LBA has reached an age where he can be trusted to watch over SoBA and they can be left for a period of time, provided we are not all that far away.  I also gave Mrs. BA a movie gift card so that we can get started on this right away.  We have already seen "The Last Jedi" in January, but that is not to say that we couldn't go see something else (or even see "Last Jedi" a third time).
3. I resolve to not run around like a crazy person every morning as we try to get ourselves out of the house to school and work.  Part of that is getting out of bed before 7:00am, part of it is going to bed at a reasonable hour (which I have been doing of late), and maybe some of it is one of these wonder products that I need to help me.
4. I would like to lose some weight this year.  Yes, yes, I know we all say that, but I really should do it.  I'm 50 now, with a variety of ailments and aches that would be alleviated by dropping some pounds.  I bought a bicycle last year that has not seen a great deal of action and it should.  My FitBit tells me that I get between 6,000 and 7,000 steps a day - but I would like that number to be the 10,000 daily goal that is recommended.  My goal is 20 pounds.
5. I would like to be a better father to LBA and SoBA.  I don't think that I'm doing an awful job - but having lost my father last year, I am reminded that it would be nice if my boys have more good memories than bad ones of me.  I need to be more patient (especially with SoBA, who seems to know exactly where my buttons are that cause me to lose my mind), yell less, and be more aware of what's going on with their lives (LBA is officially a teenager now and that brings a whole host of other issues with it).

The 2015 Twelve Posts of Christmas #12

This year the Brave Astronaut Resolves:

1.  To yell less.  I work on this one every year.  It's possibly the hardest one.

2.  To work on the Launchpad.  I am proposing one room a month - and somewhere in there - working on the outside.  Check back here for progress updates.

3.  To do my jobs better.  Be a better husband, be a better father, be a better government worker.

4.  Lose weight.  My goal is to lose enough weight that my sleep apnea will not be an issue and I won't have to bring my sleep machine with me on the family trip to France, scheduled for May.

5.  Make a better daily schedule.  I'd like to start my work day earlier - which would lead to changes in how the home morning routine is managed - and then hopefully be able to get the boys from school earlier and not be having dinner at 7:30-8:00 each evening.

The 12 Posts of Christmas (2012), volume XII

So here we are - New Year's Day - January 1, 2013.  We dangled one foot over the fiscal cliff, slipped and grabbed a branch on the way down.  It appears that economic catastrophe has been avoided, for now.

Last night was, of course, New Years Eve.  The Brave Astronaut clan celebrated in traditional fashion, with the OSG clan having fondue to ring in the new year.  We wrapped up at their house and headed home and welcomed 2013 in our bed.  SoBA fell asleep on the way home and missed out on midnight.  Mrs. BA almost missed it - as she dozed up to midnight as well.  LBA made it to midnight and then went off to bed.  Long gone are the days when Mrs. BA and I would make it long enough to say we were up until a respectable time into the new year.

Today we will celebrate New Years with our other good friends - let's call them the MTJs.  Currently we are watching the Tournament of Roses parade, but surely there should be a viewing of the Poseidon Adventure at some point today.

Here's a basic cheese fondue recipe if you wish to celebrate like the Brave Astronaut clan.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound imported Swiss cheese, shredded 
• 1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded 
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
• 1 garlic clove, peeled 
• 1 cup dry white wine 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 1 tablespoon cherry brandy, such as kirsch 
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 
• Pinch nutmeg 
• Assorted dippers 

Directions
In a small bowl, coat the cheeses with cornstarch and set aside. Rub the inside of the ceramic fondue pot with the garlic, then discard.

Over medium heat, add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Gradually stir the cheese into the simmering liquid. Melting the cheese gradually encourages a smooth fondue. Once smooth, stir in cherry brandy, mustard and nutmeg.

Arrange an assortment of bite-sized dipping foods on a lazy Susan around fondue pot. Serve with chunks of French and pumpernickel breads. Some other suggestions are Granny Smith apples and blanched vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and asparagus. Spear with fondue forks or wooden skewers, dip, swirl and enjoy!

New Years Resolutions

Yeah, yeah. I know. Everybody and their brother makes them. And doesn't keep them. It's up to you dear readers to keep me in line.

1. Lose weight. I stalled for a while, I was going to the gym at work fairly regularly. Then the kids became the exercise. Problem is, I often find myself picking at their plates when they are done with dinner. I need to find some regimen that will help me get to my goal, which is about 15-20 pounds away.
2. Have date night at least once a month. I like going to the movies. I like spending time with Mrs. BA and our friends. We don't get a chance to do it enough. I'd like to do that more.
3. Yell less. My father like(d/s) to yell. My mother was the primary disciplinarian at home and "wait until your father comes home" made you feel strange, because you didn't necessarily think you would get in more trouble, but there might be yelling. I don't want to be that father. I need to take a breath before responding to LBA and SoBA. It's hard, but they deserve better than they sometimes get.
4. Be outstanding, or at least highly successful. My fellow federal workers, you understand. I think I am on the way to this, hopefully.
   

What resolutions are you all making? Is there something missing from my list?

I wish you all a happy and healthy new year!

So here we are - 2010

It's a new year. 2010. A new decade . . . although Mrs. BA debates that point, but that's a different story. Looking back over my recent posts, I see that I have somewhat neglected Order from Chaos. I have several draft posts which need a little more fleshing out and several Monday recipes ready to go so there has been some content out there. Would you all miss me if I stopped blogging? This would be the point where you go and leave a comment and say yes. Placate me.

I am going to try and be better about my time management this year. My day is fairly well structured in its unstructuredness. The Brave Astronaut clan starts its day with Mrs. BA in the shower and me getting breakfast for LBA and SoBA. On many mornings - and I/we had a conversation with LBA just last night about this - instead of "good morning" from LBA when he pitter-pats into our room in the morning, we often get, "Can I watch a show?" Perhaps LBA's New Years Resolution will be less TV, he just doesn't know it yet. Some mornings we also get a request for "I want Mommy to give me breakfast," meaning I'm in the shower first. But however it shakes out, we all try to be out of the house by 8:00. That's the goal. (Yesterday our day started much earlier, but I'd rather not relive that anytime soon.) Of course, if we are running late and I help Mrs. BA and the boys get on their way and I haven't showered yet, I often fall victim to "The West Wing," which is on Bravo each morning. Though I can time it that I can get my shower done during one of the interminable commercial breaks.

Once at work, I have more than enough to keep me busy. My goal this year is to be more productive and so far I am doing pretty well in that regard. My To Do List is rather lengthy, but I'm working the problems. I would like to say that I plan to build a lunchtime visit to the Fitness Center back into my work day, but for now, that is not in the cards.

The evenings involve getting dinner together for the family, as I am the one who is home first. On some occasions, I can manage to get dinner for the boys together and Mrs. BA and I will forage later after they are in bed. That would be another New Years Resolution, plan and execute more family dinners. It's one of my most favorite times of the day. I like us all sitting around together. LBA is at the age where he has a lot to say and much of it is amusing and I like talking with him about his day. SoBA is close to talking and he has many words and expressions to convey what it is he needs or wants.

Next, the boys get baths (most nights) and then it's off to bed. I often get SoBA, who is the easier of the two to get to bed (it's getting him to stay there all night, but that's a different story), which involves a story or two, perhaps part of a show on TV, and then he willingly goes off to bed. While still in a crib, the big boy bed is coming, I think, this summer. LBA gets a few stories, after a show, and then goes to bed. By this time it is close to 9:00 and there is still a lot to accomplish, let alone things that I (or Mrs. BA) would like to do.

The siren call of the computers often get the best of us and we are often working (or playing on Facebook - in my case) on our laptops, while watching something on TV. However, there are a number of archival projects that I would like to accomplish this year. I have started working on the family archives of late and next up will be a rather extensive project to gain intellectual control of the Brave Astronaut photo collection. Anybody have a scanner I can borrow?

There are of course any number of things that could be accomplished around the house. We have been there a little over two years now and I guess it's time to start dealing with some routine maintenance. I'd like to do a little painting and I would really love a new shed. Spring cleaning may get interesting at the launchpad.

None of the above are excuses for my neglecting the blog. But it is a bit of a declaration as to why I might not be here as much as I would like over the next few months. But don't worry, I won't be far. And there's always recipe Mondays so you know I'm still around. I have a post (still in my head as of today) that I will put out this weekend as Christmas comes to an end at the Brave Astronaut launchpad (watch for the Loot List!) and a number of draft posts, which I mentioned earlier, which I hope to get ready to roll out soon. And then there's all those starred items in my Google Reader . . . why is it that I can't be afflicted with insomnia again?

The Brave Astronaut Christmas / Holiday cards went out late this year. If you were not a recipient of the "official" card this year, please accept my sincere wishes to you and yours that you had a great holiday and that 2010 holds for you nothing but health and happiness.

But Will He Do It at My House?

One of my as yet, unstated New Years Resolutions is to get a handle on the clutter that is overtaking the Brave Astronaut launchpad. The problem of course, is not enough hours in the day. Some time ago, Adam Roberts, also known as the Amateur Gourmet, published a how-to guide to getting a handle on your kitchen. Perhaps that is the place to start.

Then just the other day, he posted a recipe worth sharing. Chicken with Bacon AND Cream!

Mustard Chicken with Bacon and Cream

Make a marinade. In a bowl, mix together:

• 1/4 cup strong Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds crushed (optional; I had them on hand)
• 1 1/2 cups Creme Fraiche OR 1 1/4 cups heavy cream (I used the cream)
• 8 garlic cloves sliced
• 1/2 pound thick-sliced bacon or pancetta cut into 1/4 inch lardons
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp chopped thyme
• 2 Tbsp chopped sage

Take chicken, cut into 8 pieces, pat dry with paper towels and season aggressively with salt and pepper. Place in marinade, stirring, let sit for at least an hour or two or overnight.

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees. Place the chicken and all the marinade into a baking dish and bake for one hour, turning the pieces as they brown. Some of the pieces will cook through earlier, Adam found that the breasts were done after 45 minutes--but the legs and thighs took the full hour.

Random Observations on a Road Trip

I traveled to Jersey City, New Jersey yesterday to pick up my new (used) car. I've put a picture at the bottom so you can see my new ride. As some of you know, I have been looking to replace our second car for a few months and finally scored it on eBay, hence the day trip to Jersey City. However, with the new car came a radio that requires a code to make it work. So I had some time to think on the drive home. So I wrote this blog post in my head.

• I have (in my mind) come up with a list of New Years Resolutions but have not yet gotten around to posting them here for public review. One of them is however, getting out of bed when the alarm goes off, which will allow for an earlier arrival at work and a better time management of my work day. So today, I got up when the alarm went off (and one snooze) so the Brave Astronaut family could get downtown and I could make a train northward.
• Walking from the Metro to the bank (to get a bank check for the car) and back to the Metro reminded me how much I liked working downtown. The trip downtown also allowed me the opportunity to help drop off the boys at daycare, which LBA had been remarking to me that I never did.
• As I got on the Metro to go to Union Station, I was standing near the door of the subway train, and a woman looked over at me and said, "Brave?" "Brave Astronaut?" Of the mass of humanity crowded on the Metro on a morning when I wouldn't necessarily be downtown, I had managed to bump into someone I went to high school with, in New York. It was very funny and good to see her.
  
• I haven't ridden Amtrak in some time (I will say, had I bought a car from the Boston area, I could have flown there for less money than the train fare to Jersey City) but it was a very uneventful trip, complete with the requisite travel mall catalog in the seat pocket. VP-elect Joe Biden does know how to travel.
  
• While I should have used the time on the train to sleep, I instead read and found myself looking out the window. There is a wide range of stuff littering the side of the tracks. I would swear that I even saw evidence of where people had been living - another sign of the poor economy.
• I was also struck by the fact that in many places, looking out the window from a train is not the best view. I wonder if the President-elect will have the same thoughts when he travels to DC from New York next weekend?
• I bought the car from a used car dealer in Jersey City. It was everything you would have expected. Trailer, fenced in lot, in the wilds of Jersey City. And I had to put gas in the car and put on new wipers.
• I traveled home via the New Jersey Turnpike and noted with some interest that while there are rest areas up and down the Turnpike, the exits do not indicate what other amenities you might reach if you get off - with the exception of some hotels listed off of exit 5(?), including a Macintosh Inn, where I may have stayed once.
• When I reached the Delaware Memorial Bridge, I noted the overhead sign warning me of a slippery roadway but also offering me a phone number if I was in crisis. Does a slippery roadway make it harder for people in crisis to do what they may have come there to do?
• I made a pit stop at the Delaware rest area. I got some coffee, a snack, and a few dollars of Powerball tickets. I didn't win.

I am sure there are more random tidbits that I might have had last night, but the day overcame me and I had to get in bed. Which is why this post is 24 hours late from planned. But enjoy nonetheless. The car goes to the dealer tomorrow for a checkup. Wish me luck.

New Year's Resolutions

So we have arrived at 2008. In just a few short days the presidential campaign will get under way . . . oh, wait a minute . . . too late for that. With the new year still fresh in our heads (is that what is causing the headache?) here are the Brave Astronaut's New Years Resolutions. Let's bear in mind, these are fairly broad.

1. Stop smoking. This may be a moot point, as I quit for my fortieth birthday, two weeks ago). Let's see if I can stay away. When is the next professional meeting?
2. Lose weight. Tradition holds, one quits smoking and gains weight. Plus, it's winter and we are not as active. But a new baby, which arrived just two days ago, should help. And I promise to be more diligent about getting to the gym at work when I am back on a normal schedule.
3. Read More. I got a bunch of books for Christmas and they are gathering dust on my night table. Which leads me to number 4.
   
4. Establish a better schedule and routine for household chores and other responsibilities. This may require less blogging and my new time suck, Facebook. But we will see. The goal is getting to work earlier and leaving in time to have dinner ready for the family so we can all eat together. With Mrs. BA off for a few months, that may have to wait. And one should not just look at the dirt and think, I really should clean.
5. Be a better time manager. Face it, we all procrastinate. I want to be better at my job and be more productive in general. This homeowner thing is very time consuming.
6. Be a better husband and father. I think I am doing OK here, but there is always room for improvement. My wife says I spoil my older son, so I would like to avoid some of those same mistakes and try and correct others already committed. I have the best wife in the world, so that first part should be pretty easy, too.
7. Be a better person in general. I actually said it out loud the other day . . . I can be a real SOB sometimes. Let's see if I can't be nicer to people this year.

What are your resolutions? Let's bear in mind, many people make them and then break them. I was one of those people that stopped making them for exactly this reason, so I'm counting on all of you to make sure I stick to them.

Happy New Year to All!