My 2008 Resolutions

Why I bother with this self-defeating ritual is beyond me. Nah, that's not true. At the end of the year it gives me some means of gauging my personal successes and failure's, and it does preserve some idea of what struck me as important at a given point in my life.

So with that I present Slapinions List of Doable but Likely Unattainable New Year's Resolutions 2008 Edition.

I'm going to try to keep it simple, both in numbers (an even 10) and in scope.

 1. I will continue to eat healthier and treat my body better, with an ambitious but secondary goal of finishing '08 at 270# or lower (a drop of ~70 pounds)

  I quit smoking; now I just have to conquer this
 
 2. I will continue to place a stronger emphasis on attending church with the kids
  I value my religion and want to pass that on to the kids.

 3. I will make a serious and determined effort to secure publication of my writing

 4. I will try not to be an as**ole
    I have been more self-aware as late; in the past few years my temper has shortened and my standard-issue sarcasm is coming off wrong to others. Time to change that.
  
 5. I will continue to hammer away at my anxiety issues
    This would be a major victory

 6. I will organize my finances so every paycheck isn't worthy of panic
     I'd like to get a Christmas account going, some additional life insurance (esp. on the house), and a genu-ine 401K of worth

 7. I will try to limit my swearing
  Because frankly, I often sound like a sailor

 8. I will try to be nicer to my family (siblings/parents). 
     They make me all jittery and I get snappish. I should work on that.

 9. I will try to enjoy every moment I spend with my wife and kids
    I already do; but I want to remember each day in detail. They are growing up so fast.

10. I will seek fufillment and happiness in my professional life
     In whatever shape that takes.

To everyone; ahappy, safe, and blessed year ahead!

Happy New Year!

My 2007 Resolutions

Oh man am I a loser, if super-good looking/intelligent folks can ever truly bear that title. In a quest to compose a brief list of resolutions for the upcoming year I came across this post from exactly one year ago today.

Franky, I’d forgotten all about it. I’d thought I’d resolved NOT to make resolutions for 2007, as it was obvious the first part of the year would be taken up with remodeling my house, and the second part with a new baby – both of which preclude any real progress on things like taking trips, or for that matter even taking the chance on a new job.

Here’s the list, and how I did:

1. Continue losing weight, and stick with it.

 Yeah, uh, yeah, ya see . . technically I’ve lost somewhere in the neighborhood of 20+ pounds in the last three months, but that’s after gaining around 70 since New Years. So uh, no.

2. Finish the $3%#$ book

Next.

3. Transcribe all the interviews I've done over the years

Didn’t even look at ‘em.

4. Keep all my teeth

Success!

5. Find happiness in my employment

Let me see if I can put into words how miserably I failed on this score . . oh, no. I can’t.

6. Learn something new

Well, c’mon – try living one year and not learning something. Next.

7. Try to live by my adage "Try not to be an a**hole", as I notice I've been a jerk a lot of 2006 - I blame the job.

Opinions vary.

8. Spend time with my family whenever possible, and actually 'be' present, not just physically there. I've zoned out a lot as of late.

I think I accomplished this. I’ve certainly stepped up to the plate with the new baby.

9. Here's an iffy - see Gettysburg

The closest I got was Gurnee, Illiniois.

10. Resolve or minimize my anxiety, etc. issues

I’ve been much more aggressive on this score and in fairness, I think I have improved a bit.

11. Host a belated 10th anniversary/wife's 30th birthday bash

No money, honey.

12. Take up a physical activity

Well, now that we don’t live in a one-level flat I walk up the stairs several times a day. Does that count?

I guess I’ll have to sit down and come up with something doable for 2008 before the New Year begins. Let me mull it over.

Thoughts and Resolutions

I'm falling behind on this blog again.

First off there's the day trip I took with Lu that should be posted, then some momumental news dating back to the 6th followed b y more great news from the 22nd that should take up quite a few posts.

I also need to update everyone on Xmas - like anyone care's - because it turned out to be a great holiday, even if I did put on some pounds.

There's also current events like Saddam's hanging (good riddance, tho' I can't get very excited over seeing a human being die by another's hand) and some book reviews to round out the year.

But instead I choose to post on New Years resolutions.

Here's my list from both 2005 and 2006. How did I do?

Repair the videocamera/christmas tree stand

I did fix the tree stand.

Finish my dang book

Nope.

Boost revenue at my business 10% (minimum), with an overall goal of a 33% increase

We did better than '05 - and '04 and '03, 'matter of fact, but we failed to meet this goal.

Move into a better neighborhood, with more room for the kids.

Yup! More on this later.

Take my first real vacation in years; hopefully, a 10th anniversary cruise

Done

Pick up XM radio so I can binge on MLB games this summer

Yessiree.

So out of six resolutions I succeeded in 3, got partial credit on 2, and failed in 1. Not a bad outcome, really.

As for the '05 list, which I also vowed to complete in '06:

I did quit smoking (yea!) and lost some weight.

I did learn new things

I kept all my teeth

And I had some good moments with my son.

Having failed at it year after year, it looks like I might never actually write a book, not between work and family and whatnot. And time spent writing this doesn't count as time I should spend working on it - this is a breeze and a relaxation thing. 

That's ok. Life is pretty good as it is.

 Sigh. Actually, you know I still want to be a paid writer . . .

Anywho, here's my 2007 Resolutions:

1. Continue losing weight, and stick with it.

2. Finishthe $3%#$ book

3. Transcribe all the interviews I've done over the years

4. Keep all my teeth

5. Find happiness in my employment

6. Learn something new

7. Try to live by my adage "Try not to be an a**hole", as I notice I've been a jerk a lot of 2006 - I blame the job.

8. Spend time with my family whenever possible, and actually 'be' present, not just physically there. I've zoned out a lot as of late.

9. Here's an iffy - see Gettysburg

10. Resolve or minimize my anxiety, etc. issues

11. Host a belated 10th anniversary/wife's 30th birthday bash

12. Take up a physical activity

Ok, a dozen is more than enough.

 If I don't post again in '06 - Have a happy and Safe New Year!

New Years Resolutions 2006

This time last year, along with most of the universe, I posted list of New Years Resolutions. Unlinke most of the universe, mine occasionally crossed the line into 'bawdy', for which I humbly apologize.

Before I go about lising what I'll fail to accomplish in 2006, I'd like to revisit the unfufilled dreams of 2005.

I will lose weight by exercising more and practicing self-control of my eating habits. I will go to the gym on a regular basis. I will also quit smoking.

Uh, yeah. I think I'll finish the year ten pounds heavier, and while I quit smoking (about a dozen times) it remains a monkey on my back.

I will learn to braid my daughter's hair. Nope.

I will figure out how to transfer my home videos to DVD's using my computer Nope. Sensing a trend here?

I will attend church more often  Yup, 'tho in fairness the bar was set pretty low in '04.

I will help my wife catch up on our children's scrapbooks. No, well, sorta . . I consider this blog a scrapbook of sorts.

I will no longer invest hope, excitement, or expectations in my Milwaukee Brewers Well, be proud, I accomplished this - and in return they posted the first non-losing season in 12 years.

I will make every effort to secure publication of my writing, and will accept rejection with renewed determination  No, and no.

I will read a hundred books. Try twenty or fewer - I was behind the pace but still a'tryin' in June, but after getting that promotion I managed only one the rest of the year.

I will take the extra time to relearn my parenting skills to benefit my son. I don't know - ask my wife.

 I will not lose any more teeth in the coming year What a depressing list of failures. I lost an abcessed tooth on the 5th of July.

I will attend an out-of-state baseball game with my Dad  Sigh.

I will make some effort at mental improvement Well, I did watch a lot of the National Geographic Channel.

I will successfully find a better paying, safer, more challenging day job. Done. Good thing it was probably the most important thing on the list, or this whole thing would be a wash.

Ok, enough of the past. May I  present  Slapinions Rambling List of Likely Unattainable but certainly Doable New Years Resolutions (Had I Only a Smidgen of Ambition And Personal Will Power) 2006 Edition.

Except for the Brewers' thingy, ditto 2005's resolutions. Yay for me. In additon

Repair the videocamera/christmas tree stand

Finish my dang book

Boost revenue at my business 10% (minimum), with an overall goal of a 33% increase

Move into a better neighborhood, with more room for the kids.

Take my first real vacation in years; hopefully, a 10th anniversary cruise

Pick up XM radio so I can binge on MLB games this summer

Okay, that's  enough rope to hang myself. To everyone out there, a safe and happy 2006!

 

The (Mandatory) Post about New Years Resolutions NYE 2004

In the thirty years I've spent on this planet, I can't think of a single New Years resolution I've kept. Whoa, scratch that. From age fourteen on I included "lose my virginity" on each list.

Thank God I got that out of the way last year.

So I thought this year I'd make my self-improvement list public to lend it a little moral authority. You know, give it a little oompah that it's been lacking. I therefore present:

Slapinions Rambling List of Likely Unattainable but certainly Doable New Years Resolutions (Had I Only a Smidgen of Ambition And Personal Will Power) 2005 Edition.

I will lose weight by exercising more and practicing self-control of my eating habits. I will go to the gym on a regular basis. I will also quit smoking.

I'm lumping those together so that when I fail it'll only count as one mark against me.

Despite all my inherent masculine distaste at the idea, I will learn to braid my daughter's hair.

Because on the rare mornings her appearance is my responsibility, my daughter goes to kindergarten looking like Gene Wilder.

I will figure out how to transfer my home videos to DVD's using my computer

Which, after all, was the whole reason I spent the extra $500 on the thing in the first place.

I will attend church more often

I did much better this year, but working third shift doesn’t make it easy come Sunday morning and the guilt is piling up.

I will not falter in my assertion that the Godfather is a thousand times better than Scarface

Mark this one as done. It's not even a contest.

Again swallowing my masculine genetic predisposition, I will help my wife catch up on our children's scrapbooks.

Disturbingly enough, I actually enjoy doing this.

I will no longer invest hope, excitement, or expectations in my Milwaukee Brewers

Which is something I should have done ten years ago.

I will no longer childishly try to spoil my wife's orgasms by whispering "Richard Nixon" at that 'special' time

Frankly, this should never have been an issue.

I will make every effort to secure publication of my writing, and will accept rejection with renewed determination

It's sad when your only published work is a twenty-year old letter in Boy's Life

I will read a hundred books.

Been saying that for years, but have never cracked ninety.

I will take the extra time to relearn my parenting skills to benefit my son.

Because after two daughters, the whole 'penis' thing makes me feel like my wife's giving birth to a Martian.

I will make at least a piddling attempt to renew my acquaintance with the guitar

I was never any good, but I enjoyed it. And it would impress my daughters.

 I will not lose any more teeth in the coming year

Let's just let that sleeping dog lie, shall we?

I will attend an out-of-state baseball game with my Dad

I will make some effort at mental improvement

Ideally I'd like to learn Polish or Latin, but I'd settle for remembering half the phone numbers in my cell.

I will successfully find a better paying, safer, more challenging day job.

Not just because the one I have now pays poorly and is eventually going to get me killed, but because I really am capable of better. Plus working nights is hell on my tan.

Will I succeed? I'll fill you in with an update next year. 'Til then -

Happy New Year everyone!