#98 Done. It’s ten instead of one hundred and I won’t be blogging about it. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to completing the following in 2010.

1. Grow our business.  Hopefully we can double again in our third year.
2. Visit my Mom in Santa Rosa.
3. Get into shape. It’s really going to happen this year. I promise.
4. Eat a meal outside of the U.S. This goal will make the annual list.
5. Finish the first draft of my novel.
6. Budget Cheeseheads. Raise the budget.
7. Vegas, New York, Chicago, San Diego, Boston, Nashville and Florida.
8. Read a novel a month.
9. Volunteer, give, sponsor, etc.
10. Don’t blog.

#95 Complete.

#18 Done.  Journaling my life for over two years now and I’m more than ready to let it go.

The Incomplete List.

#5. Finish my current screenplay.  I rewrote Cheeseheads, so technically I didn’t finish the one I started in the beginning of the year.

#14. Sorry

#24. A major failure. Gained 20 instead of losing 15.  Now I’m in for some work.

#26. Inspiration never struck.

#33. I’ll reflect on this list in about six months and consider writing an article about the year that was.

#34. Pathetic I didn’t see one.

#36. Would have nice combined with #34.

#40. I still remember being awed as a kid.  Would love to get up there again.

#42. My French got in the way.

#44. This will be done early next year.

#46. WIll try again this year.

#47. Perhaps we’ll get around to doing this on the way up to my mom’s.

#49. I think I’ll stay off the horses.

#52. I don’t even know what this means.

#56. I’m a coward.

#59. I’ll stick to eating seven courses.

#62. Newport is only 40 minutes away. Don’t know why we can’t get down there.

#64. Nope.

#65. Shamu died.

#66. Hopefully I’ll add this to the routine.

#67. I heard they got a nice one Africa.

#79. Santa Rosa eludes me.

#80. They sucked anyway.

#82. Sort of scary down there at the moment.

#88. All set to go until I hurt my hand.

#89. Had a couple of ideas, but never got around to it.

#91. Stupid one.

#96. Trip to Chicago interfered.

#97. Dumb.

#26 Incomplete. Not going to happen.

#33 not yet.  So, this blog thing is coming to an end.  The overall experience might make for a halfway decent article, but not at this time.  Instead, I think I’ll wait six months or a year to gain perspective.  So, come January 1st there will be no more posts. C’est la vie.

#66 incomplete.  Just didn’t get around to hiking anything but the usual trail.

#19 Done. Although this blog is coming to an end, I will continue to add posts to My Grandfather’s Office when the inspiration strikes.

Click photo to read.

#84 Done. Sonia finally got her braces and she’s been in pain ever since.  They said it will all be worth it.

Saw The Lovely Bones.  A good story ruined by the director’s excessive use of computerized production design.

#59 not going to happen. Too little time, too little desire.

Merry Christmas.  Kids are growing up fast.  Everyone got what they wanted as usual.  Xmas eve dinner was great.  Xmas breakfast was comforting.  Now it’s time for the traditional xmas nap.  Here are a few more pics from last night.

Santa made an appearance at the annual Youmans Christmas Eve Party.  Good times as usual.

#21 Done. Having read Hemingway’s first novel, I figured I should read his last one as well. The Old Man in the Sea is proof that character trumps story.  To recap, the other four classic novels read this year were The Big Sleep, Tropic of Cancer, Slaughterhouse Five and The Sun Also Rises.

Took Brittany to see Avatar because Sonia is allergic to Sci-fi movies. The story was a well executed version of a story we have seen many times before.  The way it was told through the 3D cinematography and production design was a game changer.  This is a seminal moment in movie making.

Brought back something nasty from Chicago. It’s bed for me.

#10 done.  I started a six week push up routine in early July but have kept it going despite hating it.  I’ve been able to do eighty push ups at one time despite the fact that I seem to weigh more every time I try.

Touched down in Chitown.  Made a pit stop at Gene and Judes for a couple of dawgs.  Fantastic.  The hour plus in traffic, not so much.

#6 Done.  But far from actually being done. I started working on my first novel, 27, a few weeks ago.  Hopefully I’ll a first draft by this time next year.

#96 Incomplete.  The Newport Beach Xmas boat parade is this weekend, but we’ll be in Chicago gettin’ our cold on.

#23 Done. Tried Eva Longoria and Todd English’s, Beso, in Hollywood.  Neither of us were disappointed.  2009 was the year of the restaurant.  And although we sunk way more money into our stomachs than any financial would advise, we’d do it again.

#99 Done.  We’ve given a bunch to ourselves this year, so it’s probably wise to take a break and give a little back to others.  So we gave a little christmas cheer to a family through the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital’s Holidays From The Heart.

#19 in progress.  Wrote a post about my great grandmother’s family, The Pellissiers. Click the picture to read.

Good gangster flick. Used to live down the block from the Biography theatre in Chicago where Dillinger was killed after watching Manhattan Melodrama with Clark Gabel.  I saw Something About Mary in the same theatre.

Saw this movie with five other people who were either luke warm or didn’t like it.  It was a movie about melancholy.  I liked it.

#97 Incomplete. This was the one goal that was way out of my control.  And other than being on the Amazing Race I have no desire to be on a game show.  This won’t be on next year’s list.

She’s only three games into the season, but it’s cool to see Brit has cracked the top ten in Southern California for total points.  With that said, it’s still sloppy soccer.

Montclair is 2-0 after winning just one game last year.  Brit scored twice today, but man do I miss watching club.

#46 Incomplete. Not going to happen by the 31st. Next year.

Netflixed the documentary, The Carter.  Not much to take away from it.

Netflixed Funny People and found it moderately funny.

#62 incomplete.  Although we spent many days at the beach this year, Newport was not one of them.  It’s be unseasonably warm this month, but not warm enough to make this one happen.

November Recap.

November was a family month.  Aside from Thanksgiving, we had a family reunion outside of Seattle to celebrate my sister’s and brother-in-law’s marriage. November was also the month my little girl took her soccer game to the next level and helped secure a championship for her club team.  High School soccer is going to be buzz kill.

What’s done…

#25. Headed to Vegas on a whim and made some moola.  We’re becoming the Bonnie and Clyde of craps.

#43. Bought a new suit.  Hopefully it doesn’t fit this time next year.

#61. Took the fam to see Snoqualmie Falls in Washington.

#86. Finally had my Dad, Georgeanne, George and Rosie over for dinner.

In Progress…

#5. Almost done.

#6. Real close.

#10. Days away from completing the program.

#18. Still going.

#21. Read the Sun Also Rises. One more to go.

#23. Chinois on Main and Umami Burger.

Just a few weeks away from end.

#80 Incomplete.  The first official incomplete of the year.  Time ran out and it’s not like we’re really missing much with this year’s team.

It’s beginning to look a lot like….