Today, an old friend came out of the woodwork and asked (via the Internet) to talk on amateur radio. I felt pretty good that my radio was working and we were able to have a good conversation, but it occurred to me that I haven't been practicing much for emergency communications, so I need to add that to the list. And I need to get the other hams in my family practicing a bit more as well.

Hiking and camping didn't happen nearly enough last summer, so it's time to get that on the calendar as well.

I've done well practicing some emergency preparedness skills (taking refresher courses for medical stuff, keeping my firearms skills sharp, slowly improving my physical conditioning, keeping our cars well-maintained and with appropriate gear) but I have a lot of room for improvement.

We all have room for improvement. Everyday life takes over and some skills fall by the wayside. Work, family, friends, and all of the other things that crop up just seem to eat up the time. Reminders help, and a good plan for the year would be a good thing for me.