Our Yearly Playlist

#17 in Progress

#17. Achieve 20% yearly gain on day trading account This insane story will help me achieve #17. Banking this 150% gain for the day.

2020 in Review

Yes, 2020 was a dumpster fire-I even caught on fire (stupid story)-but 2020 was the shake-up I needed. It was a year of learning more transferrable skills. The lockdown disrupted my writing routine, so I built a library/office and fell in love with tools and building things. We couldn’t eat out, so I elevated my cooking skills. We couldn’t get on a plane, so…

#20 In Progress

#20: Read 20 Books This one won the Booker Prize in 2020. Didn’t love it, but appreciated it.

#68 Done

#68: Stay at a winery Picked the perfect near 80 degree weekend to get away to our friend’s winery in Paso Robles. Pre-pruning season.

Wanted to make a video about this Lechón rub, but it’s Sonia’s mom’s secret recipe.

Asked Sonia to make me a Bloody Mary and this is what she gave me. Finger for scale.

#9 In Progress

#9: Convert driveway into a fenced in patio This will be done in bits and pieces. The first step took me way more time than I anticipated, but the side fence has been taken down and disposed of.

#25 in Progress

#20 in Progress

#20: Read 20 books. I’ve always loved westerns. Add historical fiction to that and I found this one to be a winner.

Sandwich Game Changer

One simple cut and the options are limitless.

#76 in Progress

#76: Three Master Classes 

#25 in Progress

#25: Document 25 Recipes

#3 Done

#3 Ring in the new year. DJ Devin brought the party to quarantine.

The List of 2021

Accumulate one Bitcoin 2. Grow LA Fashion Insider 3. Ring in the New Year 4. Buy a Smoker 5. Go to a Marquette game 6. Key West or New Orleans 7. Buy a shot gun 8. Go Off-roading 9. Covert driveway into a fenced in patio 10. Go to a playoff game 11. Fly fishing trip with my Mom and Jim 12. Visit an…

The Final Audit

Don’t sleep in a hospital Don’t Permanently Shutter LA Fashion Insider Ring in the New Year Do something I wouldn’t do if not for this blog Go to a Marquette game See my Dad in person by Father’s Day Shot gun Off roading Complete 10 nagging home repairs Refurbish the fireplace Sleep in my bed Visit an American City we’ve never been to Visit…

#53 Done

#48

I’ve always enjoyed appreciated devastation depicted in film.

Branzino and home grown roasted zucchini.

Head start on next year’s goal to upgrade my kitchenware. Three new Dalstrong knives for X-mas. Thanks, GA.

#21

My last read book of 2020. I was entertained.

Until I get a pizza oven, the blackstone worked surprisingly well. The Bloody Mary in the spa to watch the Bears game was icing on the cake. Trying to set up a universal remote for the remainder of the day brought things back down to earth.

Hemingway was very impressed about how much faster the Blackstone cooked his 40lbs of venison than it used to take me with the oven. Sonia’s happy the house doesn’t smell like venison.

Merry Christmas

Christmas was different this year. The Christmas Eve party that has been a Youmans family tradition for more than two decades was paused for a more immediate gathering in the back yard. We added whiffle ball which was a plus, and the fire pit made the cool night more than tolerable. As for Christmas Day, the breakfast was as good as ever and Santa…

More organizing

The grocery store drink dispenser is a game changer.

#21

Meh.

Much better.

Dinner prep.

Blackstone Breakfast

Bacon, egg and cheese with miso red sauce for a kick. I love this griddle.

#21

Entertaining.

3 hour BBQ ribs. House grown butter lettuce salad. House grown roasted zucchini.

Guess we’ll have some zucchini for dinner.

New Blackstone griddle with 3 built in air fryers. Breaking it in with some fajitas.

It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like

Christmas.

Mornings at home

California’s new stay at home order. Screw it, we’re going to work.

Another pandemic silver lining. I just became a HVAC repairman. It was like solving a Rubik’s cube, but now I know what the cave men must have felt when they first made fire.

No restaurants, so it’s time to cook more. Huge Mac and air fries.

I subscribed to a monthly Butcher Box of grass fed meats just in time. The second full lock down has begun.

Folding on a Few Goals

A little maintenance on what ain’t happening’. #36: A look back on the last decade. — I don’t have the time, but the 2010’s were great. #44: Attend a music festival — I miss these. #67: Aurora Borealis — One of these years. #79: Garage Sale — We cleaned the garage, but gave it all way. #80: Landscape the curbside — Maybe next year….

#2 Done

#2: Don’t Permanently Shutter LA Fashion Insider As odd it sounds, we had our best year in the last six. Chalk it up to the pandemic and getting into PPE like masks and covid testing kits.

An outdoor thanksgiving

#27 Done

Thankfully, LA waited until today to close down all restaurants so that we could celebrate Devin’s 30th.

The Big Three O

Happy 30th, Devin!

Got a head start on one of next year’s goals which is to upgrade our cookware. My first piece is this chef’s knife. Instead of buying one from one of the big brands, I found a 15 year old aspiring knife maker from the UK on instagram and commissioned him to make this. Pretty cool, because he had not yet tackled kitchen knives, but…

#21

Fantastic.

Friendsgiving. H

#96 DOne

#96: See Mom this year Mom brought us together for a wonderful few days in the darkest spot in the USA. Anza Borrego was a hit.