By now you’ve probably figured out that I like lists. My first post was a list of sub-sections for point one of a list which spawned another list.  In a post last month I mentioned a further list, aka The Ultimate List, a comprehensive record of all the tasks I need to complete in my life, the only difference being that “This time however, I’m going to attempt to complete the tasks instead of waiting three months and then rediscovering the list buried under the detritus of my desk.”

It’s a month later and already the list has been buried, time to resurrect it, update it and post it here so the world is my witness.

The Ultimate List

1. Complete HM Revenue & Customs form – This involves taking all the tedious details listed here and making them fit into all the boxes on the form, highlighting key details on the photocopies Baines kindly made for me and then popping it in the post.

2. Fix my Ubuntu problem – Trying to dual boot Ubuntu and Vista.  Installed Heron but couldn’t get my wireless to work, a website suggested that upgrading to Ibex would fix my problem, it didn’t.  It broke Ubuntu.  Will be putting some more technical details up on the Ubuntu forum soon but for now think this XKCD cartoon sums it up.

3. Get a form – I need to cash some Premium Bonds to pay my rent, to do this I need a form that the Post Office hasn’t had in stock for two weeks, will see if it’s online somewhere.

4. Get a cheque book – My mission to consolidate my debt is going well and I have successfully closed my HSBC account.  The only problem is I now need to pay my rent from my Lloyds TSB account and I can’t find my cheque book, will have to pick up a new one.

5. Pay Council Tax – Not that I’m behind or anything, just need to setup the direct debit on my new account for next month.

6. Find a job in Stoke – On Saturday I attended a successful job interview (“Do you have any unusual pets?”) and will now be employed on a week long contract to work three days (seriously).  I’ll be revealing where later in the week but suffice to say I’m going to need another source of income after Saturday.

7. Wash black shirts for work

8. Prepare for parental unit visit – They show up on Wednesday, which means I need to;

a. Wash and dry everything in the kitchen (Baines)
b. Flash wipe all surfaces
c. Mop the kitchen floor
d. Vacuum all carpets
e. Buy flowers for the living room (Sainsbury’s try and put some bouquets in your range that are both reasonably priced and non-sucky, I know it’s hard for you)
f. Put clean sheets on the bed
g. General tidying
h. Speak to them on the phone and find out what time they’ll be showing up
i. Drop passport photocopy and bank details into work early on Wednesday so as to have plenty of time for enforced family bonding

9. Freelance and find work experience – Am hoping to hear something positive back from this job at the end of the month, in the mean time I should look for work experience at national newspapers (my parents mention this everytime they call) and complete the final third of my BBC work experience application.

10. Find a job in Birmingham – If moving to Birmingham is the plan, and at the moment it is, then I need to find a job there.

11. Find a new home – My contract on this one is up in 97 days.

12. Educate myself – Will explain in more detail at some stage but I need to figure out if I want to complete a journalism degree or switch to something else (say PR maybe) and then I need to figure out where I’d study.

13. Write Deadline – Sometimes I try and trick my brain by not thinking about something because if I don’t think about something then it doesn’t exist.  This is a fallacy and the Deadline website is still there (actually, no it’s not).  Nonetheless I want to finish this, it will be good practice and I can use it as an example of my writing and maybe even try selling the story.

Well, that’s all I can think of for now.  sixteen points somewhat ranked in order of importance and chronology.  If I missed something or I missed you, let me know.