Hello Again

I think I am still in denial that the new year has already started. After a whirlwind fall full of visits, trips, holiday prep and celebration, shopping, and the requisite holiday cold/sickness, I am still recuperating on the couch. I am off of work today though so I guess it is time to stop hibernating and rejoin the rest of the world in making my new year’s resolutions. As evidenced in last year’s new years post, I am horrible in not only making resolutions, but in keeping them as well. But I suppose everyone has the same problem based on the fact that we all keep making the same ones every year. So I am hoping to make a list of reasonable goals for this year and put them in writing so my faithful five readers can keep me on track (hint, hint). 2012 is actually looking to be a fun year: ski day planned this month, trip to New York in February, long weekend in Atlanta in March (and hopefully Vegas as well), a new apartment in April, and some time this summer a California tour. So I think that is a good start to the year! So here is my list...

1. Blog more. I am going to write one full length blog a month. Plus a picture post once a week. Text/FB/email reminders are welcome.
2. Be active. I have been going to the gym off and on for the past year, but not with any regularity, so my goal this year is to no excuses, go two days a week every week. I hope to go more and often do, but then there will be sometimes be a two week period when I don’t go at all. So this way, I have two days planned every week so I can’t fall off the wagon.
3. Cook more. I really do like to cook, but I just get sick of leftovers so I often just eat out. I am hoping to start eating at home more often. My friends and I tried to start a once a week rotating dinner night, but with the holidays, we didn’t get into a routine. I think I am going to try to jump start that idea again. It is always more fun to cook for others!
4. Do something. Okay that is vague, but I am hoping to find at least regular activity that I have been missing lately. I miss singing, but as an adult there aren't a lot of opportunities other than church choirs for that. But there is an adult chorus in Columbia. Or maybe a charity that needs a volunteer on one Saturday a month, or possibly an ultimate frisbee team in the spring. My idea is to find something that I enjoy where I can meet other people. I have decided to stay here for at least another year, so I want to take advantage of the benefits of my job (flexibility, days off, set hours, minimal stress, etc.)
5. Try new things. Snowboarding will be first this year. I’ll let you know how that goes in my next post. Any ideas are welcome. Whether it is a new food, a new look, a book I wouldn’t normally read, or an activity. Time to explore my thirties...
6. Organize my past. I have slowly brought all of my pictures and journals and random memories here from mom’s house, but there is no sort of organization. Plus I have five years of digital photos on my computer that have never been printed. So I want to consolidate to a manageable amount of meaningful, documented, date ordered files/books. This may take longer than one year...
7. Learn. I keep tossing around this idea of going back to school, but then the pro/con list always leans heavier on the con list due to finances and responsibilities. I really do miss studying and learning new things and discussing with other people that are interested in the same ideas, but graduate school just seems a little out of reach. So I was thinking about on online course or continuing ed class at the school here. I’ll see what I find and keep you all posted.

I think that sums up the basic goals for this year. I think the basic theme is to stop letting time pass by and start living life. I know that is a pretty common and trite statement, but this is where I am at right now, so... here’s to 2012!

And because cute animal pictures make anyone smile...