Resolutions

I always get all tingly at the start of a new year. It's so fresh and clean, no mistakes in it, no ANYTHING in it, just blank newness waiting to be mucked about it.

I know that's rubbish.

And also I've been watching a lot of Doctor Who, which explains the British phraseology. Seriously, if I had a British accent, I'd shut up even less than I already do.

Anyway, like I said, I know the whole idea of the new year being fresh and shiny and new is utter rubbish, because really, there's nothing special about tomorrow. It's just another day. But somehow it's so full of opportunities and choices to be made or not made or unmade or remade. It's just so darn EXCITING.

I am a resolution maker, and this year I have three four resolutions for my brand new, shiny year:

1. Organize. This sounds dumb, but we live in 1200 sq feet, and until the economy turns around, we're going nowhere fast. It's time to take this hodge podge of a house and turn it into a well-mannered, organized home.

2. Get Healthy - I'm little, but I am nowhere near as healthy as I wish I was. Starting tomorrow, I'm exercising, feeding my family more whole foods and no more eating cereal that changes the color of my milk. I may even start to buy *gasp* 2% instead of whole. The end goal here is to run a 5K next December.

3. Read. In 2010, I read 100 books. 100. I didn't set myself a reading goal last year and I read precisely five books. Or so. So this year, I'm cutting the goal in quarters, because I have doula training and work and a BABY. So, in 2012, I'm reading 25 books. At least. And only seven of them can be Harry Potter.

It's funny because there are seven Harry Potter books.

4. Word. As in "The Word". My relationship with God fell to the wayside when I became a mother, but if I want to raise up this little girl in the way that she should go, I need to make sure I am on the way that I should go. I miss reading the Bible every night. I miss the closeness I had with God.

So there it is. Organze. Fit. Read. Word.

OFRW.

Or WORF, if you prefer.

Actually, I do.

WORF: New Years 2012

About this whole running thing...

I have a love-hate relationship with running. On th one hand, I love to run. I love the high I get when I run, and the sense of personal accomplishment. On the other hand, my knees were shot all to hell when I did colorguard in high school, and now running makes my knees want to move out and fin an owner who will take better care of them.

Every few months, though, I ignore my knees pitiful cries for mercy and decide I'm going to run. I download music, I put on my running clothes, and off I go. This usually lasts about three weeks before I'm back at square one.

It's the new year though, and I need to be a better person. Which means, really, that I need to get in better shape. I'm teeny tiny, it's true, but skinny does not always = healthy. It just means I don't eat a lot. My muscles are the consistany of ricotta cheese at this point, and I feel like that just isn't acceptable. So, the goal now is, as it always is, to run a 5K. The Ortega River Run is February 27th, and it's as good a time as any to try a 5K, and it's roughly nine-ish weeks away, which gives me time for the Couch to 5K program.

I'm going to try and run tonight. It's supposed to be in the 20's though, and I only own one glove. If I layer though, maybe it will be ok.

25 Books in 2010

I'm not usually one for goal-making. After all, I'm not usually one for goal-keeping, so what's the point? However, I hav decided, against my better judgement, to read 25 books in 2010. It doesn't sound like a lot, but that's roughly 2 1/12 books a month, or an entire book every two weeks.

The reason I know I am probably doomed to failure is that, as with Couch to 5K, I find myself saying "Two books a month? Easy Peasy". Somehow I think this will be more challenging than I imagine. And on the off chance that it isn't and I breeze through 25 books in the next 6 weeks, I'll have to up the ante to 52 books in a year. Or not. But it's a thought. Anyways, here we are.

1. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (completed Jan 4)
2. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (Completed Jan 7)
3. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (Completed Jan 8)
4. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (Completed Jan 9)
5. Gulliver's Travels (In progress)

Books I want to read this year:

It Sucked, and Then I Cried by Heather Armstrong
Emma by Jane Austen

After that, I have literally no idea. Maybe I'll reread the Abhorsen Chronicles. Is that cheating, to reread?

New Years

Today is the last day, not only of this year, but of a decade. 10 years ago, I was 12 years old, halfway through seventh grade, and, if memory serves, having a party that would result in us finding confetti scattered throughout our home well into my high school years. I thought it was great. My mother never let me have another New Years Party.

Resolutions inevitably come with the new year. January 1st gives us a starting point for everything we want to make better about ourselves. I'm not making any resolutions except "Have more Sex." I think we can all just agree to that one, because really, who doesn't want more sex? Except you single people. You all can just keep it in your pants.
Instead of resolutions, I have the 101 in 1001 plan. You can read all about it here. You won't get updates often, as I am bad at lists and even worse at updating blogs, but it should give you a general idea of my goals. They aren't lofty or anything, and I would add "Be Less Judgey", but I feel like the Judgey thing works for me.