<h3>The Problem</h3>

  <p>This is Beta, Stacey's dog. She's cute, clever and a little rascal. She's small, fast and a runner.</p>

  <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/4198272829/" title="Beta in Santa Monica, California by veganstraightedge, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4198272829_599c89a49c.jpg" alt="Beta in Santa Monica, California"></a></p>

  <p>This is the rear car gate and driveway in our back yard. Take note of the gap between the gate and the ground. That is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68QpAAH4_VM" title="YouTube - Finding Nemo- Escape from the fish tank">recipe for escape</a>.</p>

  <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/4354006649/" title="Installing a carpet flap on the bottom of our car gate to keep Beta in by veganstraightedge, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2747/4354006649_9abda11e1d.jpg" alt="Installing a carpet flap on the bottom of our car gate to keep Beta in"></a></p>

  <h3>The Solution</h3>

  <p>Mud flaps… or something like that.</p>

  <p>There happened to be a couple pieces of carpet in the driveway. I think they're there to deal with muddy days. Or whatever. I got out some tools, cut one piece of carpet into a few strips and punched some holes into them.</p>

  <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/4354007835/" title="Installing a carpet flap on the bottom of our car gate to keep Beta in by veganstraightedge, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2788/4354007835_97c0ccd142.jpg" alt="Installing a carpet flap on the bottom of our car gate to keep Beta in"></a></p>
  <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/4354755320/" title="Installing a carpet flap on the bottom of our car gate to keep Beta in by veganstraightedge, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2710/4354755320_88ab6b9670.jpg" alt="Installing a carpet flap on the bottom of our car gate to keep Beta in"></a></p>

  <p>I used some rubber coated steel wire cut into ~18" lengths to tie the strips of carpet to the fence.</p>

  <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/4354011961/" title="Installing a carpet flap on the bottom of our car gate to keep Beta in by veganstraightedge, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2750/4354011961_85f62b4206.jpg" alt="Installing a carpet flap on the bottom of our car gate to keep Beta in"></a></p>
  <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/4354756566/" title="Installing a carpet flap on the bottom of our car gate to keep Beta in by veganstraightedge, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4354756566_d8c24717f6.jpg" alt="Installing a carpet flap on the bottom of our car gate to keep Beta in"></a></p>

  <p>In the end, it's a little bit low rent and not the prettiest thing in the world. But you know what? It kept Beta from going under the gate (which is the first place she checked when I let her out of the house after I was done) which meant that she and Civ (and the landlord's dogs Ezra and Madison) could run wild and free all day in two yards and the tennis court. It also meant That I could have all <strong>seven</strong> doors open all day enjoying the beautiful weather and sunshine. A win for all of us. Additionally, both Civ and Beta are tuckered the hell out from running around all day. And <em>that</em> is why we picked this house as our new home.</p>

  <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/4354013333/" title="Installing a carpet flap on the bottom of our car gate to keep Beta in by veganstraightedge, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4354013333_ee43de16db.jpg" alt="Installing a carpet flap on the bottom of our car gate to keep Beta in"></a></p>

  <p>PS. The gate can even still open. It just needs to be lifted upward a little bit more than usual. A small price to pay in my mind.</p>

  <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/4354761116/" title="Installing a carpet flap on the bottom of our car gate to keep Beta in by veganstraightedge, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4354761116_42d8c039f9.jpg" alt="Installing a carpet flap on the bottom of our car gate to keep Beta in"></a></p>

<p> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelpaukner/4314987544/" title="Big Brothers on flickr"> <img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2750/4314987544_ca47fb5b72.jpg" alt="Big Brothers"> </a> </p>

<p class="flickr_meta"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelpaukner/4314987544/" title="Big Brothers">Big Brothers</a> <span class="by">by</span> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/michaelpaukner/">Michæl Paukner</a> <span class="by">on</span> flickr </p>

<blockquote cite="http://mark.pilgrim.usesthis.com/">
  <p>
    HTML is not just one output format among many; it is <em>the</em> format of our age.
  </p>
</blockquote>

<p>—<cite><a href="http://mark.pilgrim.usesthis.com/">Mark Pilgrim</a></cite></p>

<blockquote cite="http://speirs.org/blog/2010/1/29/future-shock.html">
  <p>The Real Work is not formatting the margins, installing the printer driver, uploading the document, finishing the PowerPoint slides, running the software update or reinstalling the OS.</p>

  <p>The Real Work is teaching the child, healing the patient, selling the house, logging the road defects, fixing the car at the roadside, capturing the table's order, designing the house and organising the party.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>—<cite><a href="http://speirs.org/blog/2010/1/29/future-shock.html">Fraser Speirs</a></cite></p>

  <p>A couple days late, but here we go.</p>

  <p>Out with the old. I have this general feeling from lots of friends that 2009 was not a great year for them. I tend to agree. When I think about my past 12 months, I get a feeling of... meh. But when I try to articulate why it was so bad, I'm reminded of the really great stuff too. Here's some of the highlights.</p>

  <ul>
    <li>I didn't have a job the whole year and still got by OK</li>
    <li>I went to Chile for a month in February</li>
    <li>I got rid of most of my possessions fitting everything I own into my van</li>
    <li>I travelled the USA for four months</li>
    <li>I saw old friends from Atlanta (and elsewhere) for the first time in several years</li>
    <li>I made new friends all over the country and in other countries</li>
    <li>I got a new laptop, 2 cameras and phone</li>
    <li>I turned 30</li>
    <li>My dog, Civ, turned 9</li>
    <li>I got rid of all but 1 of my cameras</li>
    <li>I continued The Resistance Army with Bookis</li>
    <li>I started Less Than Three with Bookis and Tj</li>
    <li>I met and started dating Stacey</li>
  </ul>

  <p>Not all bad. Actually pretty decent. But I still feel like I wasn't very happy or fulfilled. So that's this year's plan: bust ass, get lots done, feel good about myself.</p>

  <p>This is a more detailed list of goals, what some people call resolutions. (Originally published at <a href="http://listyourlist.com/veganstraightedge/lists/355" title="ListYourList : 2010 (The Year of Personal Jetpacks) Resolutions">ListYourList</a>.)</p>

  <p>Let's call them Goals, because you're on your way once you set your goals.</p>

  <ul>
    <li>Get out of debt</li>
    <li>Get a job</li>
    <li>Get a house</li>
    <li>Build a wild edibles map app... or enlist someone else to</li>
    <li>Build a dam wiki... or enlist someone else to</li>
    <li>Sell 30 shirts / month</li>
    <li>Publish 6 issues of a new online magazine</li>
    <li>Get an activity stream aggregator / publisher working</li>
    <li>Never burn another CD or DVD</li>
    <li>Read at least one book / month</li>
    <li>Get to TODO ZERO at least once</li>
    <li>Stay put, don't travel so much</li>
  </ul>

  <p>Twenty Ten, The Year of Personal Jet-packs, my personal Year of Hustle. Get into it.</p>