The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)

Imagine this: it's your wedding day, and at the betrothal feast, you get arrested.  You've done nothing wrong, but persons unknown, due to jealousy or self-interest, have accused you of aiding exiled Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in his attempt to return to power in 1815.  Taken from your bride, you're imprisoned for 14 years.  In jail, you befriend a man who claims to know of a vast treasure on Monte Cristo, a small island between Corsica and Italy.  He, nearing death, gives you his secret, and, after hearing your story, helps you deduce who was behind your betrayal.  He then dies, and you escape to find the treasure just as the man claimed it would be.  You're suddenly free and hopelessly wealthy.  What do you do?  If your name is Edmond Dantes, you become the Count of Monte Cristo, and spend the next 10 years carrying out a brilliantly elaborate plan of vengeance.  The Count of Monte Cristo is his story.

What can I say?  This book is fantastic.  It's long (over 1000 pages), but worth it.  It reminds me of A Tale of Two Cities, in a sense- you have the inital event that sparks your interest, a slow build-up where various pieces are given to you, and a fantastic finish where the pieces come together and form an elaborate, tragic, beautiful story.  In The Count of Monte Cristo, the first 25% is Edmond's betrayal, arrest, imprisonment, escape, and obtaining riches; the next ~35% is the slow build-up where (frankly), you don't always understand what's going on, the characters, etc; the final ~40% is where everything starts falling into place.  That middle bit can be difficult to slog through at times- but trust me, the payoff is worth it. 

It's hard to nail down what I liked best about the book.  Some thoughts:
- the typical eloquence of Victorian writers
- the elaborate nature of the plan of revenge (the seemingly disparate pieces, and how they tie together)
- how Dantes uses his enemies' other sins against them in bringing about their downfall
- the nature of Dantes' character; he's complex and conflicted.  Yet, in the end, he learns that "he who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness."

The hardest part about "moving on" after this book is that the next I read, regardless of author or genre, will most likely pale in comparison.  Dumas is a master!  One of my favorite authors . . . I can't believe I've waited so long to read him.

Rating: A+

Strange Brew

When a friend recently took a job in Canada, my mind went immediately to Strange Brew.  A deliberately absurd comedy, it tells the story of Bob & Doug McKenzie- brothers who try to blackmail the local brewery for free beer, and end up involved in a plot to control the world.  Canadian to the core, the movie is full of beer and doughnuts, eh? 

It had been 15 years since I last saw this flick, and I hope it's 15 more.  It certainly has its moments- some laugh-out-loud lines and scenarios- but most of it is cheesy, inexplicable, and strange- even for my tastes.  The 1980s effects don't help, except for a laugh.  I bin this in the same category as Monty Python, meaning
1) whether it's funny or stupid depends on the day and your mood
2) females almost definitely will not appreciate it

Rating: C-

Batman: Lovers & Madmen (Various)

Since Batman has been around so long, I'm sure the Joker's origin story has been told many times over.  Still, never hurts to have a fresh take . . . enter Batman: Lovers & Madmen.  Bearing several striking similarities to the 1989 Batman movie, this story tell us how Joker came to be.  Batman's been prowling the streets of Gotham for just under a year, and things are going well.  The streets are cleaner and safer, and the city is beginning to rest easy.  Enter a man named Jack . . . good at killing and bored with life, he wanders listlessly from job to job, robbing and killing as he goes, but never feeling satisfied.  Through a number of events, Jack becomes acquainted with Batsy, and finds in his opposite his purpose.

Lovers & Madmen is a good tale.  The art is striking, a bit severe, but suitable for the story.  You see Batman wrestling with who he is, what it means for his life, and what it means for the city- is donning a mask bringing freaks out of the woodwork?  You see Joker dealing with the same thing.  In the end, it appears as though they're both madmen, in a sense . . .

Rating: A

Dark Horse Comics & Star Wars

I suppose it was inevitable.  Last year, Disney bought Star Wars.  Disney also owns Marvel Comics.  Currently, Star Wars comics are published by Dark Horse.  You see where I'm going here- on 3 January, Disney announced that Marvel would take over Star Wars comics starting in 2015 (the official Dark Horse announcement is here).

What does this mean?  Frankly, I'm not sure.  At worst, it means that all current Star Wars comic series will discontinued, and brand new story arcs (along with brand new writers) will take over.  At best, the series will be transferred, and perhaps (at least some of) the writers/artists retained.  The reality will probably be somewhere in between (one guy's thoughts are here).  Regardless, a big change is coming, and that makes me sad.  Not because I dislike Marvel, but because I've developed a familiarity with, and fondness for, the current Dark Horse comic crew.  I'm not a huge collector, but Dark Horse was always that pleasing "third option" after giants Marvel and DC.  In losing the license, I fear Dark Horse will fade into obscurity.  I'm probably overstating it, but that's the concern.

Enough dreary talk.  As Dark Horse Comics heads into its last year of publishing Star Wars stories, I'd like to reflect on some of my favorite characters from their time at the helm.  There's certainly a wealth of material from which to choose- they've held the license since 1991, and published dozens of story arcs in the last 23 years (I thought about presenting my favorite stories, too, but they're tied to the characters, so it's a bit redundant).  I think, but don't know for certain, that each of the below made their Star Wars debut in comic form.

Quinlan Vos

Vos is a Jedi that walks the line between light and dark.  He shows up in several Republic-era comics, often with sidekick and Padawan Aayla Secura.  I enjoyed his character because he broke the standard Star Wars mold, and operated in the shadows- in multiple senses of the word.








Vodo Siosk-Baas

Master Siosk-Baas is a Jedi Master in the Old Republic era (thousands of years before the movies).  He shows up in a few issues of Tales of the Jedi.  So strong in the Force that he needs no lightsaber- his wooden staff is an effective substitute- I thought his character was pretty cool.  He also looks like some sort of fish, which I found oddly interesting.



Kir Kanos

Kir Kanos is one of the Emperor's elite royal guards.  His tale is told in the Crimson Empire saga, which I review here.  Loyal to the core, he represents those honorable characters on the wrong side.









A'Sharad Hett

Both a Tusken Raider and a Jedi?  Could it get any cooler?  A'sharad shows up in the Republic series of comics, often with his master, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and against the Jedi hunter Aurra Sing.  Good stuff!






Durge

I love me those bounty hunters.  Durge features heavily in the Clone Wars comic series, often with Asajj Ventress.  A walking bundle of nerve clusters, or something, he apparently is very hard to kill.  If memory serves, they eventually fling him into a star- that oughta do it.









Aurra Sing

Next up, we have Aurra Sing.  A bounty hunter with a deep hatred for Jedi, she hounds them early and often throughout the Republic story arc.  She has some weird antenna on her head that makes her "feel" pain of her enemies as she tortures them.  This is one ginger you don't want to see snap.











The Dark Woman

Finally, the Dark Woman.  Another Jedi in the shadows, in a sense, she seeks self-imposed exile after her padawan, Aurra Sing, goes nuts and starts killing people.  The Dark Woman can do a number of cool things, to include walking through walls.

Star Trek: Into Darkness

Many people claim one cannot enjoy both Star Trek and Star Wars- you have to love one and hate the other.  I disagree; while my first love in movies is Star Wars, I do enjoy Star Trek.  I'm a casual fan- I've watched a handful of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, seen most of the movies, and really liked J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek reboot, where he used a wormhole to create an alternate reality to bring back the originals- Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, McCoy, and the like.  Into Darkness, today's review, is the sequel to that reboot.  It came out 8 months ago, but it's cheaper to wait for the blu-ray release.  Thus, I just watched it yesterday.

Into Darkness, like the first reboot, contains many references to the original Star Trek series and movies.  I didn't catch them all, being a casual fan, but I did note a few.  The most obvious parallels are to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.  I haven't seen that movie in 15+ years, so memory is dim, but I like the way Abrams brings in the new while paying homage to the old.  Like Star Trek II, here the villain is Khan (a genetically-engineered superhuman), who commits an act of terrorism, then flees to Klingon space.  The Enterprise goes on an unofficial mission to bring him to revenge/justice, but things take an unexpected turn.  Watch the movie if you want to know more.

Into Darkness is, at its heart, the story of Captain Kirk, and his inner struggles between recklessness and responsibility, and justice and revenge.  He's headstrong, impetuous, and goes by his gut/emotions.  His first officer, Spock, is cold, logical, and rule-following to the bone.  In this film, they both learn the value and necessity of the others' approach.  Basically, to me it came down to spirit vs. letter of the law, and the importance of both.  I'm oversimplifying; there's more to it than that, and frankly, I need to think on it more.  The movie succeeds in that regard- it gives some food for thought on several topics, and it's skillfully written, giving a complexity that mandates further reflection.  Sometimes it felt forced or rushed, so I give it a few dings for that, but a good flick overall.

Rating: A-

Scarlet (Stephen Lawhead)

Scarlet is book two of the King Raven Trilogy- a historical fiction series which sets Robin Hood (here, Rhi Bran) in the 1090s, in Wales fighting against the Normans.  I reviewed book one here, and won't repeat the background.

The tale is told from the perspective of a new character- Will Scarlet, who joins the band early in the book, only to get captured during a daring kidnapping attempt on the evil Sheriff of the area.  Will tells most of the tale by relaying it to Odo, a priest who visits him in his prison cell and learns his story while he awaits hanging.  Scarlet relays to Odo Rhi Bran's raids on select caravans, robbing the rich to distribute to the poor, and in particular of one such attack which yielded a letter with royal implications.  When Rhi Bran learns of the letter's contents, he decides to take action, hoping to gain Elfael's freedom once and for all.

Book two is okay, but not as good as the first offering.  The story is average, not great.  Telling it from Will's perspective is occasionally annoying.  I'll probably read the third, but I'm not overly excited about it.

Rating: B-

The Crimson Empire Saga (Various)

Do you remember those red-robed guys who guarded the Emperor in Return of the Jedi?  They don't get much screen time, but it turns out that they're pretty awesome.  Crimson Empire is the story of one of them- Kir Kanos- but to some background is necessary to understand the context.

Background
The initial "Expanded Universe" Star Wars stories centered around events after Return of the Jedi.  The Rebels have won, but a large chunk of the galaxy is still under Imperial control.  Another comic series, Dark Empire, filled us in on some happenings in that corner of the galaxy during this time.  Emperor Palpatine is back- turns out that he figured out how to make clones of himself before his demise in ROTJ- and causing trouble.  In Dark Empire, Palpy keeps hopping between cloned bodies as they wear down- being clones, they have some genetic defects which reduces their lifespan.  The Rebels finally defeat all of the cloned Palpatines, thanks in part to Carnor Jax- a former guardsman of the Emperor who wants to claim the throne of the new Empire.  Another guardsman, Kir Kanos, learns of Jax's role, and brands him a traitor to the Empire, swearing vengeance.  Okay; back to the review.

Crimson Empire

The Crimson Empire arc is the story of Kir Kanos- a former guardsman for Palpatine- out to bring justice to those who had a hand in the (cloned) Emperor's demise.  His first target is Carnor Jax- another former guardsman, Jax seeks the throne of the new Empire for himself.  Kanos takes him down, and then sets his sights on the rest of the new Empire's ruling council- a body full of corruption and greed. As Kanos makes enemies in the new Empire, he has to go underground, and turns himself into a bounty hunter named Kenix Kil.  In that role, he pursues his ultimate objective: bring enemies of Palpatine, Rebel or Imperial, to justice.

The Crimson Empire saga is a collection of a collection. There are four main stories, all revolving around Kanos looking for justice.  I really enjoyed these stories.  The art is only average at best, but the story is good, and I liked the characters.  Kir Kanos was especially satisfying- he's an Imperial, but an honorable one, so you find yourself rooting for him as he seeks his goal.  If you like the original Star Wars movies, you'll probably like this- though I'd recommend reading Dark Empire first.

Rating (overall): A

Crimson Empire I: A
Kenix Kil: A
Crimson Empire II: A-
Crimson Empire III: A

Don't Waste Your Life (John Piper)

What better way to start the new year than by reminding yourself of what's really important?  If you have any resolutions, they're probably like mine: eat better, lose weight, buy more legos, etc. . . . but is that really what life is all about?  In Don't Waste Your Life, John Piper, a popular reformed pastor, sets the record straight.

In this book, Piper looks at his own search for an overarching passion in life.  He concludes that

God created me-and you- to live with a single, all-embracing, all-transforming passion- namely, a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life.

How?  "He is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him."

So, according to Piper, our ultimate purpose is "enjoying and displaying his [God's] greatness," and our goal in life should be "gladly making others glad in God."  So "[t]hat is the single, all-embracing, all-transforming reason for being: a passion to enjoy and display God’s supremacy in all things for the joy of all peoples."

The author proceeds to discuss the beauty of Christ, the importance of boasting only in the cross, magnifying Christ through pain and death, taking appropriate risks (better to lose your life than waste it), how to live to prove God's more precious than life, making much of God at work, and the importance of missions.

In addition to the points I mention above, I also enjoyed his discussion on self and the need to die to it:

When man and woman chose to be self-reliant and rejected God’s fatherly guidance and provision, God subjected them to the very thing they chose: self-reliance.

We, as humans, are focused on ourselves way too much- and even some pastors buy into it and twist the Gospel to be one of personal benefit only.  Piper reminds us that:

God loves us by liberating us from the bondage of self so that we can enjoy knowing and admiring him forever.

And so

The really wonderful moments of joy in this world are not the moments of self-satisfaction, but self-forgetfulness.

Overall, Piper makes a lot of really good, hard-hitting, humbling points in this book.  He quotes Scripture liberally throughout, backing up his claims with sound evidence. That's good.  It's not perfect, though- he can get repetitive.  Saying the same thing several different ways has its benefits- repetition is the key to learning, and perhaps re-phrasing things helps reach audiences of different theological backgrounds and levels- but it did seem excessive in places.  Also, in latter chapters (on work and missions), he seems to lose focus a bit, still bringing up good points, but wandering at times, to the point where parts felt like he was ranting. 

I'll end with one final quote from the book, on secular work- one I need to remember at all times:

We make much of God in our secular work is by having such high standards of excellence and such integrity and such  manifest goodwill that we put no obstacles in the way of the Gospel but rather call attention to the all-satisfying beauty of Christ.

Rating: A-

The Food of Germany

Welcome to the first of (hopefully) many seemingly random posts on various aspects of life in Europe, as I reflect on the last seven years overseas.  Today: the food of Germany.  Mind, this will not be a comprehensive, structured, or even valuable post; it's more of a quick reflection of the foods we enjoyed (and miss) the most.

Our four years in Germany found us indulging early and often in the local cuisine.  It wasn't uncommon for newly-arrived Americans to put on 10 or 20 lbs in the few years they resided there, and I did my part to maintain the trend.  Read on to find out which foods are most responsible for my ample waistline.

1. Pig Products

Germans love their pig meat, and when in Rome (or Berlin, as it were) . . . hey, you gotta fit in.  My favorite foods here were schnitzel, weißwurst, and currywurst.  The first- a breaded "escalope" of fried pork- is best served with sauce on it; personal favorites were rahmsoße (cream sauce) from the Tannenburg restaurant and jägersoße (a darker cream sauce with mushrooms).  The second- a sausage generally served for breakfast with a soft pretzel and a delightful mustard- always hits the spot.  The third- a sliced sausage covered with sauce that's either ketchup or ketchup/bbq and dusted with curry powder- is a staple at fests.  Both are wonderful, though after "schnitzeling" I often required several gallons of water in an often-vain attempt to counteract the salt consumed therewith.

jägerschnitzel

weißwurst

currywurst

2. Italian

Yes, you read that correctly.  I loved the Italian food we had in Germany.  I'm a big fan of stateside Italian, too, but the European take is generally much better- and better for you.  The pizza, for example, has much thinner crust, and much less cheese/sauce.  Speaking of pizza- in addition to excellent eateries in every city, the Germans have mastered the frozen pizza.  Dr. Oetker brand was my personal favorite- pretty much any variety they produce hit the spot.  They do have this in the States, but like many products, it's different at home- unfortunately, much fattier, and not nearly as tasty.

this is obviously a pizza box

3. Grains

German breads are fantastic; our weekly trip to the bakery was a much-welcomed endeavor.  They seem, in general, to have "meatier" breads- breads that are less airy than our US mainstays.  They have an expression in Germany- "bread good enough to lose your teeth in"- which my friend unexpectedly demonstrated by losing his front four teeth in a loaf while traveling in the area (he had a bridge across those teeth).

such selection!

I can't forget the müsli, either.  A bit like our granola, but not really, it was a staple to us.  Again, Dr. Oetker provided when necessary.

muesli with bits of chocolate?  yes please!

4. Sweets

Of course, the Germans know their sweets.   One thinks of chocolate in Germany, but hold up- most of the chocolate we enjoyed the most was Belgian or Swiss, not German (though the Deutsche certainly can make a good bar).  What the Germans did have, though, that is unparalleled is Nutella. [UPDATE: I've since learned that Nutella is Italian.  Oops.]  Put it on bread or eat it right out of the jar- it's awesome.  Along with it, there are these things called Happy Hippos, which are effectively a bit of nutella stuffed inside a crispy shell.

Apple strudel (apfelstrudel) was also a personal favorite.  Warm apples, sometimes with raisins, in pastry and ice cream . . . . mmmmmmmm.

apfelstrudel

Rounding out the sweets, we have gummy bears.  The most famous German brand is Haribo, but our favorites are those made by Bären-treff.  They  have many good assortments, but the best was the sour currant gummies.  A quick aside: Europe enjoys currants, and uses them in many products.  I don't know why we don't in the USA, but we should.

just some of the gummy bear selection in a Baeren-treff store

5. Drinks

I'm not a beer drinker, and no, Germany didn't change that.  I tried to like beer- really.  But it just wasn't to be.  That's okay, though- the Germans introduced me to this wonderful concept called "schorle."  Here's what you do: take any fruit juice, mix it with sparkling mineral water, and you have schorle.  Apple juice + sparkling water = apfelschorle, cherry juice + sparkling water = kirschschorle, etc.  What a great way to enjoy (somewhat-healthy) fruit juice, but feel like you're drinking soda!

6. Sauce/condiments

I loved the mustard served with weißwurst, as previously mentioned.  A very grainy, somewhat "powerful" variety, it was great.  Something I enjoyed with raclette is honey-mustard-dill sauce, as pictured below.  

Final Thoughts

As I said at the beginning- this is not a comprehensive list; we'd be here all day.  But when I think of Germany, and the food I enjoyed, or I look at my waist, I think of the above. 
 

Tombstone

One thing I'd like to do this year is watch some of the "classic" movies I have yet to see.  One such is Tombstone.  Released in 1993, it tells the story of Wyatt Earp.  Earp moves to Tombstone, Arizona (an up-and-coming mining town) in the 1880s, hoping to get rich in retirement after serving as a lawman elsewhere in the American West.  Joining him are his two brothers, spouses, and Doc Holliday- an old friend and expert gunslinger.  Wyatt & crew get unwillingly drawn into the town's affairs when a group of outlaws known as the Cowboys terrorize the locals and gun down the town marshal.  Wyatt's desire for justice eventually defeats his self-centered plan for retirement & riches, and he takes up the role of sheriff, planning to rid Tombstone of the outlaw menace once and for all and leading to the shootout at the O.K. Corral.

I thought the movie was pretty good- had I seen it when originally released, I probably would have thought it awesome.  This leads me to a . . .

==========
TANGENT
Do you think when you see a movie in relation to its release affects your opinion?  As I watched Tombstone, my initial thoughts were "wow, that's dated."  Had I seen it upon release, I'm sure I would have been enthralled.  Another example: the Indiana Jones movies.  I loved them as a child; I still do.  Taking a step back, though, they're pretty cheesy movies.  Had I waited 20 years and then watched them, given the advances in movie-making, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed them the way I do now.  It's almost like you need to see it new . . . before technology makes more things possible, raising your expectations and dimming the accomplishments of the past, unless the past already has a special place in your heart.
END TANGENT
==========

Back to the movie.  I liked some of the themes discussed- calling vs. selfish desires, love/loyalty/sacrifice for friends, the quest for justice, and even the end times (some themes from the Biblical book of Revelations are present).  I didn't care for the action- feeling it a bit dated (refer back to my tangent)- and it felt like they were trying to pack too much into the movie.  Too many characters, back-stories, and the like.  As a result, things felt glazed over at certain times.  Overall, though, it's pretty good.

Rating: B+

Outlaw (Angus Donald)

2014 begins the way 2013 concluded . . . with a book on Robin Hood.  This time, it's Outlaw by Angus Donald.  The first book of the Outlaw Chronicles, it re-imagines the famous thief as a godfather-type character, ruling the outlaws of Sherwood like a mafia Don.  Like the traditional Robin, he steals, loves Marian (here, Mary-Anne), is at odds with the Sheriff of Nottingham, lives in the forest, serves King Richard the Lionhearted, and is an excellent woodsmen.  Unlike tradition, he shows little charity, will kill gruesomely to make a point, and is a pagan.  His band is mostly familiar- Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, and more.  The story is told from the viewpoint of Alan Dale- an impoverished boy who finds his way into Robin's band to escape the sheriff.  Alan's telling Robin's story through recollection- he's an old man winding down his days, wistfully remembering the times he had in the forest with his famous master.  Alan's recollections focus on his own experience, training in the forest to become a worthy helper to Robin, serving in battle with him, and growing up to be a man.  But we also see what you'd expect- a bit about how Robin became an outlaw, how some of the more famous members joined his band, how Robin fought the Sheriff, etc.  Book one ends with King Richard coming to Sherwood and enlisting Robin in the Crusade (which some of the traditional tales do mention).

I'm very conflicted about this book.  It's easiest to list the good and bad:
Good:

• it's fast-paced and interesting; you want to read more.
• you get to see a more realistic portrait of who Robin might have been- this is billed as historical fiction/fantasy.  In that sense, it's akin to Bernard Cornwell's Warlord trilogy on King Arthur.
• Donald does well weaving traditional characters/tales into the story in a realistic way.  
• Robin and other characters are "gray."  They'll do good- or kill without mercy.  Even the narrator, Alan, is suspect at times.  That was an interesting twist.

Bad:

• this is Donald's first book, and it shows.  The use (or lack) of commas in some places tripped me up at times.  
• the characters are a bit shallow- not nearly as developed as they could be.  Sometimes it's hard to nail down who Robin really is, and what he really wants. 
• there's not enough history in here to be true historical fiction/fantasy.  The dialogue isn't that great, either.  It's more of an adventure set in a Medieval fantasy world, with historical figures in it.
• personal preference: not enough time is spent developing Robin's time in the forest.  To me, Robin is attractive because of the woods and the operation he has running there.  That's not covered a lot, and by the end of book one, Robin's already leaving the woods.   Things felt a bit rushed- I wish that was covered more.
• with the series currently at 5 books and counting, you don't get a sense of where/when/how this is going to end, or even what the overall point is. 

If this was a trilogy, I'd read the rest.  My first good point- that it's interesting and makes you want to read more- overcomes a lot of faults.  However, with 5 books published and 2 more announced, I just don't know if there's enough good here to make me to read the entire series.  I'm torn!  In the end, I may give book two a go, and see how I feel then.

Rating: B  

So Begins 2014

2014 will be a year of transition for us . . . more on that later.  Here is my plan for what lies ahead.

Reading

The year's focus will be three-fold:

1. "read down" the number of books I own but haven't yet read
• In 2012, I owned 100 books I'd never read.  That number is down to 75, but I want it down to 40 by year's end.  There's no reason to own things you don't plan to use, and I'm taking that to heart this year.
2. British medieval history and legend
• Though my 'official' British Reading List is done, I want to spend the last months of my time in the UK reading on the time period I enjoy the most: Medieval (~500-1500).  Be it history (the Norman invasion, the Plantagenets, Hundred Years' War, Black Plague, Wars of the Roses, Tudors) or legend (Robin Hood & King Arthur), I hope to immerse myself in this era.
3. Christianity
• I own a lot of books on different aspects of Christianity.  Though I've read many, many more remain unread, even after 10 years of sitting on my shelf.  That changes this year.

I have 40 works currently on my reading list; of them, 11 are history/historical fiction, 7 are fantasy (centering on Arthur/Robin), and 19 are Christian in some form. While the list always changes, I hope to keep it to no more than 50 books this year.

Fitness

Fitness will be more of a priority in 2014.  Here are my goals:

• lose 10 lbs (get to 175lbs)
• eat less sugar
• heal my lower back problems
• stretch more
• increase push-up totals
• be able to do the "green sally up" challenge for 2:30 (current best is 1:30)
• run more.  some milestones here:
• 1 mile in 6:00
• 2 miles in 13:00
• 3 miles in 21:00
• 10 miles in 80 minutes
• Half-marathon?  Maybe . . . depends on my knees and lower back

Travel

2014 marks our 7th and final year in Europe.  As such, we have a few small on-island trips planned for the time:

• South Coast (Portsmouth, some castles/abbeys south of London)
• Lake District (still have never been!)
• Peak District (may be done over long weekends)
• Cheltenham area/Cotswolds

Since this is our last year here, I hope to blog about our different trips of years past for memories' sake- another goal.
 

Moving

Yes, moving.  This spring/summer, we plan to head back to the USA after 4 years in Germany and 3 years in England.  What a blast it's been . . . but it's time.  We've loved our time here, but we look forward to returning home.  I hope to blog about our overall overseas experience this year as well.

Minimization

With moving comes minimization.  Books, movies, toys, clothing. . . . we have so much more than we should!  For most things, the decision to keep or donate will be based on whether or not we'll use it again.  Books, for example, will be kept if we want to read it again, refer to it, or lend it to others.  Else, they go.

----------------------------
In short, I have lots of plans for 2014.  But, as always, "A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9).  So, we'll see what actually happens this year :-).