New year, new resolutions...

I found a list of ten things in an old notebook from last New Year's Day which I promised myself I would complete in 2008. I've been able to tick one of them off. ONE. How depressing. And that one thing was to start a blog. At least I've kept it up, I suppose. So, this year, I hope I'm setting myself achievable targets and the fact that I've written them down publicly should mean they're easier to track (and have people bug me about).

1. To cook something new each week. I love tinkering in the kitchen, and am now armed with an head full of ideas thanks to all my recipe books from Christmas, so in theory this shouldn't be too hard. Famous last words.
2. Keep in touch better with all my friends and family. I'm rubbish at it in general. Facebook is good for getting an overview of what everyone is doing, but it's no substitute for the real thing. This year I promise to meet up with people more.
3. Eat healthier. No dieting (yeech, if ever there was a surefire way to put on weight, it's to mention the 'd' word), just eating better in general and taking lunches to work etc. instead of slinking off to the cafe every day and spending a fortune in the process.
4. Decorate my bedroom. We've lived in this house for well over a year now, and things are starting to feel more like home. The living room certainly does since we've redecorated. However, the bedroom does not. I am not a beige person and this needs to be rectified.
5. Make more of an effort with clothes. I always feel like a grotty student at work (even though I haven't been one for three years now) and need to invest in nicer work apparel. I feel the need for some posh shoes and underwear too. the only trouble is, I hate shopping.
6. Get organised. I have no idea what's in some of my cupboards at home. Likewise I have a lot of crap that I could pack off to a car boot sale/charity shop. Also, if I'm organised in my home - it might rub off in my life. I am constantly late for everything and it sickens me!
7. Enjoy Sundays. Instead of whinging about how boring they are and setting myself up with horrible Sunday night feelings before work on a Monday - actually do more with them. Spend some time with The Other Half. Go out for walks. Do things. Go new places.
   
8. Join in with something. Start a course - maybe pick up a language I left after GCSE, or do sign language. Or first aid. Anything. Take up a hobby or find more time for the hobbies I do have but never get around to. I feel this might be a good way to ease stress, too.
   
9. Write my ideas down. My head is jam-packed with ideas for all sorts of things like trivia books, short stories, full novels - but they're all jumbled up. I need to have a notebook on me at all time to write down weird dreams, funny turns of phrase, anecdotes and the like.
10. Read more. I've been better at this over the last year - I'm getting into a routine of reading a little bit each night. I also want to start a marathon movie-watching session with The Other Half - doing the A-Z of our DVD collection. That could take all year.
    

And there you have it. Achievable, I think. At least I don't have to wean myself off anything horrible like cigarettes...although weaning yourself of Christmas chocolate is a bummer.

Auld Lang Syne...

Happy New Year! (A bit early, I know, but I have plans to sit on my backside all evening eating sushi and watching films.) My plans with friends have fallen through but to be honest I'm not really bothered - today I am taking advantage of my new cookbooks (in particular, the one about how to make your own sushi - really looking forward to rustling up some homemade norimaki rolls) and am generally pottering about doing not much besides watch cack films, and will be singing along badly to the party tunes that are sure to grace the airwaves on every radio station across the land.

I have a feeling my sushi-hating folks may make an appearance later on, and I will be kicking out my Other Half into the street (most likely in his knocking-about-the-house shorts and t-shirt combo) just before midnight to be our first-footer, but that's about it. I quite like not having plans tonight. It doesn't feel as forced. Anyway, whatever you're doing and whoever you're with - hope you have a good one. Here's to 2009; may it bring everything you wish for.

xx