Some Additional Down-Time Tasks

Many people have this week off as it falls between Christmas and New Year's Day.  If you have some down time, consider these tasks to finish out the year:

• Dump out your BOB, make sure all is well with your gear (change out food, change out batteries, etc), then repack your BOB.  Go on a five or ten mile hike with your BOB.
• Thoroughly deep clean your home from top to bottom.  Get rid of stuff you no longer need/use and restock the food/gear/supplies you are low on.
• Prepare for next year's adventures--order your National Parks Pass and/or State Parks Pass, make sure your passport won't expire soon, book vacations, register for conferences and classes you want to attend, register for events (like marathons) you want to do, etc.
• Walk around your neighborhood at night.  Can you see into people's houses?  Can people see into your house?  Who seems to always be home at night?  Who seems to always be gone at night?  How is parking/traffic/general activity around your neighborhood at night?
• Pay off any bills or debts by the end of the year that you can.
• Go vegan for the last four days of the year.  That may be a bit extreme but so are our nation's obesity/cardiac/stroke/diabetes/cholesterol problems.  If you can start the new year out on a healthy foot you may be inclined to continue into and through the next year.
• Learn something new.  There is no end to the skills you can learn in a few days with all of the resources now available online.
• Plan an amazing new year celebration.  Several hundred thousand people are coming to Vegas for New Year's Eve as they find the city's offerings amazing; I'll be having a bonfire in the back yard (which is much more enjoyable IMHO).