I'm not much for making resolutions (although I do love to set goals - two different things to my brain *g*) but here we are, almost three weeks into the new year and although I'm checking things off my goal list left and right, I can't help but wonder if I should've added a few resolutions. Just to make sure all the bases are covered. So, here is my list of resolutions I would've made, had I made resolutions.
#1 - watch more basketball. Hey! I'm already doing this - I must be on the right track *g* With three kids playing in two different leagues, I go to at least 3 basketball games a week. Yes, I have a severe case of Bleacher Butt, but at least I've kept the first resolution.
#2 - Watch more movies. I just watched Pirates of the Carribean, At World's End (or as my son calls it, POC, AWE) Just watched it - and it came out in May of last year! I am soooo far behind I am on my movies. More trips to the video store!
#3 - Catch up on all the television programs I've missed. Like Heroes. Ugly Betty. Supernatural (although I've caught a few episodes of this season) Project Runway. Rome. Deadwood. Lost. Okay, this list could seriously go on and on and on and...well...you get the idea. Suffice it to say, if I kept this resolution, I'd never write again.#4 - Stop pressing down on the imaginary brake when my son is driving. No matter how hard I press, the car never even slows down, let alone stops. So unless my foot goes through the floorboard ala Fred Flintstone to drag on the road, I'm probably wasting my time.
#5 - Get my husband to stop shouting, "We're going to die. We're going to DIE!!" when son is driving the car. This is the reason no one likes backseat drivers.#6 - Stop being so mean and strict! Oh, sorry. That one is my older daughter's resolution for me. Can you tell she's a teenager?
#7 - Take more mental health days. Really, after reading the above, is this one a surprise?
#8 - Have fewer negative thoughts. This one is a bit more serious but I've read that we have 60,000 thoughts a day and that for most people, 80% of those thoughts are negative. Yikes! So I'm going to work on getting that percentage way down. After all, negative thoughts sure as heck never did me any good.
#9 - Stop eating celery. Eating celery has never done me any good either. I think I'll just skip it from now on.#10 - Embrace new opportunities. Like the wonderful opportunity all the Bandits have to take over at Romance Novel TV! We kick off our invasion tomorrow with the witty and wonderful Anna Campbell and Caren Crane and The Haiku Challenge. *g*
What about you? Any resolutions you should've made? For those who made resolutions, how it's going? Are you sticking with them or have they fallen a bit by the wayside?
And don't forget to check out the Bandits at Romance Novel TV during the next two weeks :-)
49 comments:
Ha!
Beth, I am normally an anti-resolutionary. However, having nabbed the GR, I resolve to:
- keep him in from the bitter cold
- make him some nice cornbread
- let him control the remote
- give him a real pedicure
- bathe him and blow dry his poor beleaguered feathers
- put him through my patented de-conditioning program to rid him of the remnants of P226's brainwa--I mean, special training
Never fear, Banditas, he shall emerge a new rooster!
Anti-resolutionary, ha, ha, too funny, Caren. Congrats on your resolve to take care of our fine feathered friend.
Hey, Caren, good karma for our RNTV gig on Monday, methinks! Congratulations.
Beth, great post. I decided I was going to be more organised this year. So far, I think I'm a little better than I was at this stage last year. Mind you, that's not saying a lot. SOOO laughing at you and the imaginary brake!
Hey, Beth, does that mean we're all going to fight the resolutionary war? Mind you, I'd quite like a French resolution. To become size 10, wear Chanel and have a mysteriously knowing look in my glinting dark eyes?
Okay, first of all, great post! Especially the teenage driving part.:)
Secondly--how can this post have posted at 7:05 pm? It's 11:19 here. Blogger time confuses me, for sure.
It's a good thing I didn't get that GR, I know. Caren is going to do all these very nice things for him, and I haven't really been able to get past the thought of what Tim Tams really are...and that maybe I could hold him ransom for a box or two. (sigh)
My resolution? Find a support group for chocoholics, I think.
Ah, heck, forgot to comment, Beth. I never made resolutions or revolutions either. Seems like they get broken (both kinds, tee hee) too easily.
I guess the writer's strike here in the U.S. has been good for you then, huh? Not so many shows to catch up on.
And really, you should've given up the celery YEARS ago. It's just hydrogenated water that tastes like cardboard, right?
If I were dumb enough to make a resolution I know I'd break anyway, I'd resolve to cook more dinners for my husband.
Really.
He's such a sweetheart and does so many wonderful things for me, I should make this small effort. But honestly, cooking? It's so thankless a task. You prepare a meal, eat it, and then it's all gone. What's the pleasure in that?
It's not like creating a craft you can see for a long time, or writing a book you can enjoy forever.
Sigh. I really needed to make that resolution. I'm a terrible wife.
Oh, I like that. Ha! The GR returns north to the Haiku queen. Congrats, Caren! You sound like you're set to pamper our poor rooster. We won't be able to get him to leave.
Beth, my mother used to pump the imaginary brake when I drove. Can't imagine why.*g* I ended up paying for lessons. It was too stressful for all involved otherwise.
I don't make resolutions. I'm a rebel at heart and as soon as I have to do something, it becomes something I don't want to do. Better for me to sneak up on my good intentions most of the time:)
I did made a resolution this year. The dh and I have finally decided it is time to eat heathier and thus lose some unwanted weight. So far things are going great. All the new recipes we have tried we have loved, and the two boys have too, which really surprised me. I have lost 7 pounds and feel I have more energy. Now, just to lose the rest of that weight!
Oops, forgot to add that all of us at RNTV are really looking forward to having you ladies visit us for the next few weeks. It is gonna be great!
Congrats on nabbing the GR, Caren! I love your resolutions - especially the one allowing our dear GR to control the remote *g* I wonder what his favorite show is? I'm guessing it's not on Food TV. Poor thing might see a relative on a platter and go into deep mourning. Or take P226's special training to heart and go after a chef or two.
LOL, Anna! Yes, I think a few weeks into the new year a lot of people are fighting the Resolutionary War *g* Which is why I don't usually make resolutions
;-)
Gillian, I say we hold tight to our anti-resolutionary beliefs and embrace our chocolate addictions! Chocolate lovers unite :-)
Jo, the writers went on strike just as my youngest and I discovered the new show, Chuck. I was hoping they'd at least show us reruns of it (since we missed the entire season except for three episodes *g*) but it's just...gone.
And you've discovered one of my secrets...I don't eat celery. Ever. Never have, never will. This is the trick to my resolutions. I tend to make ones I know I can easily keep :-)
Christine, teaching someone to drive can be very stressful. It is for my husband which is why I sit up front *g* And, I hate to admit it, but I'm a rebel at heart as well *g* I wonder what kind of trouble we can get ourselves into in San Fran?
Beth, great post. I love the teenage driver item, especially since my son will be 16 in six months. I'm not looking forward to that.
The resolution I made was to get this book done well before deadline. Well, my deadline is six weeks away and I still have 70 pages to write (and then cleanup). It will get done!
buffie, congrats on the weight loss! Isn't it wonderful to find healthy recipes the whole family can (and will) eat?
Any good tips you want to share about losing those extra pounds?
Christie, I love to drive and was very excited about teaching my son *g* Luckily, he does really well but with the winter weather, he doesn't get to drive as much as he'd like.
Best of luck with your deadline! I have no doubt you'll keep your resolution :-)
Congrats Caren...the GR is in snowed in North Carolina, huh?
Fun posts, Beth.
Hmmm....Here are some I should've made:
1. Do not kill husband while on the diet from hell. He's still breathing. Check
2. Be with daughter and not be an overly in the way mother while she has her baby. Baby arrived fine and I was told by co-workers that I was very respectful of her, her husband and them. (and I got to help her throughout the whole process!) Check
3. Start new WIP. Actually have the first chapter of two new WIP going. Check
So far so good.
4. Stick to diet from hell. Okay, having some trouble with this one. Sort of 1/2 a diet from hell.
5. Root for the Browns in the play offs...er oops, they didn't make it...root for the Colts in the playoffs...er they're out. Uhm Brett Favre is still in it, isn't he?
Gillian, you ratted me out! See, the Banditas were going to be nice and let me cheat my way to the GR. I posted Beth's blog because I was up and she wasn't, so I popped on immediately and snagged him.
Yes, I am a terrible person! But I like to blame that on my two very mean older sisters, who delighted in tormenting me and my younger sister and brother. When you grow up in a hostile environment, it teaches you to be conniving and deceptive. Yeah. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Of course, the resulting guilt is the reason the GR is now watching a marathon of my BBC Jane Austen movies. And no, he will NOT pause the movie when I need a bathroom break! I'm not sure I'll be sad to see him go, now....
Beth, believe it or not, I like celery. But don't get me near a Brussels sprout!
Oh, Caren, you and I are in complete agreement about Brussel sprouts! YUCK!
One of my resolutions this year is to be more organized. To be honest, it's one of my resolutions every year! Maybe one day, I'll reach my goal. *sigh*
Congrats, Buffie on your weight loss! That's another on my list as well....every year. Hmmm, I sense a pattern here. :)
Christine, my mother used to fling her right arm out to catch whoever was sitting in the front passenger seat whenever she made a quick stop(this was before seat belts), and danged if I didn't pick up the habit, also before seat belts.
But the funny thing is I see my daughter doing the same thing, for absolutely no reason. There are no children in the front seat! Must be in the genetic makeup LOL.
Kudos for you, Beth, on the celery ban. What was God thinking when he made celery? This question keeps me up at nights. It's completely unpalatable unless drenched with cheese or peanut butter, which defeats the whole low-cal thing.
I'm just saying, sometimes even God goofs. Look at Hitler, bin Laden and celery!
Oooh, sorry about Chuck. I think that one's gone for good.
Oh, and ladies, embrace your teenage drivers. Trust me, the time will come when, with their lightning reflexes and quick minds (much better than YOURS) that you will be so glad that they provide driving relief for endless menial chores.
A word of caution: do not seem overly eager to have them perform these chores for you. A heavy sigh and a dubious, "Oh I don't know, do you think you're ready to drive alone to the grocery store and pick up the 15 items on my list?"
Or "Maybe this ONCE I'll let you drive to the gas station alone and fill up. Do you think you can handle that?"
Embrace the little buggers! They'll save you HOURS upon HOURS of writing time.
Trust me.
Ohh Beth! I can totally relate to you. My son got his license about a month ago and its driving me crazy! I resolve to keep grounding him from the car. Playing guitar is a groundable offense, right?
I'm doing really bad at my resolutions this year but I'm going to keep plugging away.
1). Lose some weight so I don't get thrown off the plane to San Fran. Must-have-time-tams *g*
2). I promised in writing to a dear friend that I would start a WIP. Its like pulling out my fingernails but I'm working on an outline and character sketches.
Buffie, that's fantastic about the new weight-loss success. Go, you!
I've been out of state a lot dealing with a family illness and the aftermath, so I'm so behind on setting goals and making resolutions for this year. I think I'll keep it simple, but I can't really think about much until I get this book that's due Feb. 15 done. Normally, I am a big goal setter and make up my lists the last week of the year for the next year.
BTW, Netflix is a wonder for catching up on movies and TV shows you've missed. I've maxed out my queue (that's 500 discs, people). I'm almost caught up with back seasons of Smallville, and I think I'll try Roswell next.
Suz, I'm rooting for Green Bay too. Any team that can play in that kind of freaking cold all the time has my respect. :) Plus, I think it'd be cool for Brett Favre to win the Super Bowl since I bet he'll retire soon. And since the Titans were out in the first game...sigh.
Shoot, Caren, with that kind of treatment I'LL come and stay at your house!! Congrats on the GR, lucky bird!
Does anybody like celery? And brussel sprouts. SHUDDER!
I had to laugh at the adventures in teenaged driving. You have my sympathy. My nephew turned sixteen last February. His parents were so bad as driving instructors that he requested they leave him alone and elected to let my Mom teach him how to drive. He became Nana's personal chauffeur and even had her take him to take his driving test. The thing is I HATED having her in the car with me when I learned to drive. She did the imaginary brake thing, the screaming WE'RE GOING TO DIE thing and generally drove me nuts! Of course we must never forget that grandchildren can do no wrong! Little rats!
I don't call them resolutions anymore. I call them life changes. I am determined to change my life this year BEFORE I turn 50 in December. I intend to :
Get more organized.
Eat better and lose weight.
Get more exercise.
Get my first novel completely polished and start and finish my second novel.
GET PUBLISHED / AN AGENT!!
Turn more of my five acres from a jungle that is threatening to move into the house into a garden - English style on one side and oriental on the other.
NOT to give up chocolate. There are some things you just know are beyond you!
Posh T wrote:
- give him a real pedicure
Ahem...Posh, is that a challenge toward my choice of goth polish for our bird? Black and gold--you know they go GREAT together....
Caren,
I ENVY the GR this morning. Can it be sweet cornbread? With lots of REAL butter?
I didn't make any real resolutions per se for all the reasons people stated but I did make decisions....to lose weight, exercise more, go to Ireland and keep writing, writing, writing. So far, I'm doin pretty good with all of them.
I like celery...in stuffing covered with gravy.
LOL on the reactions to teenage drivers. But,hmmmm...my BROTHER still does that to me!
I've been driving a...well, a long time and I don't think I need him to slam on brakes. I do eventually stop :-)
I really don't do resolutions, even after the fact. Goals is the best I can do and right now, I am not even on the road to meeting those.
Does anybody like celery? And brussel sprouts. SHUDDER!
Uhmmm.....raises hand with sheepish look.....I do.
Now for those who don't know, God did NOT make celery tasteless and bland. The produce farmers did that. Hybridizing so it looks good and has a longer shelf life and ships well and is all nice and consistent plant to plant and.....well, you get the idea. TASTE was not a factor. :0/
Cassondra, agriculturalist in another life.
Hey, I like celery...filled with organic peanut butter. In fact, lately...it's one of my most favorite treats!....See my resolution #1. Brussel Sprouts...uh..no, it rates up there with okra for me.
And Trish...between the cold and having the most exprienced quarterback, who is still easy to look at and acts like he loves the game so much, Green Bay has my respect, too. Although, it's kind of nice to see the younger Manning brother go farther than big brother this year!
Great post Beth
You are so good to the GR Caren he won't want to leave you I am guessing he needs spoiling after all of his travels from one side of the world to the other.
I don't make resolutions because I never stick to them I always try to do the right thing but alas I am me do what makes me happy eat chocolates read wonderful books intstead of being more organized at home and getting some of the housework done or just spending time with my grandchildren.
My hubby has taught one of our daughters to drive I don't have the nerve for it she actually is a very good driver has her own car and this does really help me.
Congrats to everyone who has done well with their resolutions I wish I could be good and set them and stick to them
Have Fun
Helen
Oh, I should answer the question. (yet another sheepish look)
I don't really do resolutions, but the end of the year is a good time to reflect and set goals.
I realized, in conversation with Jeanne actually, that I've let my present job, because of its high hourly wage for a part time position, even though it has no benefits, TAKE OVER MY WHOLE LIFE.
I realized that I'd be better off saying "do you want fries with that" in a better work environment, working more hours and with some flexibility, than I am making a lot of money per hour and not being able to have any kind of fellowship with other writers (my job, by its definition, is EVERY Saturday). So I have a goal of changing that, and I'm applying my will to doing so.
Also because of a conversation with Donna and other Banditas, I'm going to sit down and write even if it's drivel. Get past my perfectionism and just write. Writing ANYTHING is better than writing nothing. I know this, and have practiced it in the past to good success.
But perfectionism, she is a stubborn one. And a tricksey one. Tricksey I says.
Great post, Beth. I'm with the crowd who feels resolutions are often forgotten within a few weeks and are best left alone. What I've been working on is "living in the moment"...trying to stop worrying about what I haven't done or what I should doin the future. Instead, I'm trying to enjoy everything that comes my way.
Thanks for bringing up this timely topic!
As for celery, it only takes good smothered in cheese.
KJ
Suz, I just got back from yet another basketball game - is Brett Favre still in the playoffs? I'll have to check the football scores *g* And yay to you for not killing your husband! I really hope that resolution sticks :-)
Caren, I actually like Brussels sprouts *g* And I'm glad you confessed to your sneakiness in getting the GR. Now you'll have a clean conscience and all that ;-)
Gannon, one of my goals this year is to organize my craft area. I doubt it'll get done but it's staying on my goal list *g*
Jo, I totally agree about the celrey. And for me, there's not enough peanut butter, cheese or veggie dip in the world to cover the celery taste.
Say it isn't so about Chuck! That show (and Chuck himself) was so cute. I'll have to break the news to my daughter :-(
And I'm already wishing he could drive by himself so he could run errands for me. He's happy to do so but the rule is if he's taking his sisters somewhere, they have to listen to his music :-)
LOL, Kim! It is nerve wracking but I guess I'm too easy going to let it get to me *g* And my son is playing guitar as we speak (because I wouldn't let him play drums while I'm posting on the blog) Wonder what else our boys have in common? :-)
Good for you on starting your WIP!! Honestly, starting a new story is the hardest part for me! Let us know how it goes *g*
Trish, I've caught most of the episodes of Roswell and I really like it! The Sci-Fi channel sometimes plays them *g* I should get a subscription to Netflix but we have a video store just down the road and it's so easy to go and get what I want when I want it *g*
doglady, your nephew sounds like one smart young man! And your mom must've done something right so he picked her to teach him to drive *g* Your life changes are great! Best of luck in achieving them :-)
Joan, my husband sometimes acts that way when I'm driving too. Which is when I give the whole "Do not make me stop this car!" :-)
Dianna, the best part about making goals is if you've over extended yourself, you can always revise them *g*
Okay, I'm off again, this time to pick up a kid from a basketball game that I didn't have to watch *g*
Hi, Beth!
My resolutions are 50/50 so far. I have *not* been writing my 20 pages per week on my new WIP. An agent expressed some interest in one of the books living under my bed, but only if I change X, Y & Z. So the current WIP is on hold while I perform some surgery on last year's WIP.
So that's a good/bad situation. My other goal was having one date a month with my husband, & we managed to sneak away while visiting family to see a production of Wicked. Has anybody seen this?? Oh. My. Gosh. Sooooooo good!
And maybe I'm cracked, but I like brussel sprouts. Celery, too, inasmuch as anybody can like crunchy water. More accurately, I should say I don't mind celery. It's a perfectly adequate peanut butter delivery system. :-)
I guess I'm in the minority when I say I like celery and brussel sprouts. Both needs a little seasoning, but I really enjoy them. Too bad no one else in my house does :(
Oranization is another thing I would love to accomplish this year. My scrapbooking and card making stuff is taking over the master bedroom. My poor dh is stepping over stickers and papers and stuff. Oh well, he is used to it. I have so much stuff and I really don't know what I have. One day!
Caren, from a resolutionary to an anti, "En Garde." I really think every January, I have a new lease on life, a chance to do things differently or do new things. January is hope. January is spring in winter. Uh-oh. You can see how my haikus are going to be tomorrow.
Helen, eating chocolate, reading and spending time with family all sound better than making resolutions *g* I think you have the right idea!
Cassondra, we're in the same boat. I too fight perfectionism - I think it's what's slowing down my starting these new book proposals. But tomorrow I WILL write 10 pgs no matter how long it takes and no matter how awful those pages may be *g* We should fight the good fight together ;-)
Hey, KJ, I'm a total believer in living in the moment! Great philosophy :-)
Susan, good for you on being 50/50 with your resolutions! I love the idea of a monthly date night but never seem to get around to it *g*
Actually, I like most vegetables and I don't need any cheese or sauce on them to eat them *g* But I can't stomach celery. Or beets.
Buffie, the reason I want to organize my craft desk is because I want to start scrapbooking *g* I have a couple of bags filled with supplies but haven't started yet. And my youngest got a dressform and some books on designs for Christmas so she's going to have a sewing area next to me *g*
Keira, I still feel that way about the beginning of each school year *g* It's just something I never outgrew but I do feel each Sept that there are new opportunties just waiting for me :-)
Beth--hmm, he's really into video games, computers and ditzy girls. I swear the more air-headed they are the more he adores them. *sigh* And he firmly believes that giving him a household chore is reason to argue. LOL.
I actually kinda like brussel sprouts if they're cooked right. I don't like them when they're sour though. ick. Celery w/peanut butter is pretty good.
Congrats, Caren! I'm sure the GR's resting comfortably :)
Hmm... resolutions? Jo, you and me both--I should definitely cook more for my husband and kids (and not just nuke something out of the freezer--corn dogs, anyone?)
And I'm in, chocolate lovers! Where are we uniting? At Sees? Somewhere else delicious? Mmm...
Beth, I love celery AND beets. But I liked neither until after I had children. Actually, beets were the way I knew I was pregnant with the third.
I was grocery shopping and hanging out in the canned vegetable aisle when a jar of Harvard beets caught my eye. Now, I had never really eaten beets, but for some reason they made me salivate. I craved them! So, I bought them and a home pregnancy test. When I got home with them, my husband looked at them and said, "Are you pregnant again?" Lo and behold, I was! *g*
Celery and I became good friends in the past few years. I have learned to love the crunch and the peppery goodness of it. The taste is something I never appreciated fully until recently. I do love it stuffed (with almost anything), but also enjoy just crunching it solo. If you can buy fresh celery that is not grown on a large commercial farm (preferably from an organic farm), celery is heaven! Same with fresh asparagus, which is wonderful.
Mm. Now I want a plate of crudites!
Fedora, I think it's great that you, Beth and Gillian are forming a chocolate fan club--I mean, support group. *g*
Keira, congratulations on the weight loss! I went to my first yoga class in a couple of years yesterday. It was wonderful! I went with Deb Marlowe and we committed to making each other go every weekend. I also began walking with a couple of women at work. I may actually fit into my RITA dresses again this summer!
But let's be clear, I did NOT make a resolution to exercise and lose weight. I merely made a decision.
Keira, I understand too well the seductive lure of the new year. However, if you want a resolution to stick, it's best to make it at the beginning of spring rather than the beginning of winter. So, all those fair weather joggers may be onto something after all. *g*
Another thing you will never find me doing: jogging.
GR UPDATE: I have made sausages, scrambled eggs, beef stew, lasagna and garlic bread.
I also put away all the Christmas decorations and did a bit of cleaning. Then gave the GR a pedicure (his nails are a lovely shade of bronze!). Then we went to see Juno. The GR said it was a chick movie and, indeed, all us chicks enjoyed it!
Joan, as to cornbread, I ONLY make buttermilk cornbread. I never defile it with sugar. My husband and children adore sweet cornbread, but they don't get it at my house (or my mother's). They tend to hit Boston Market for that. *g*
The GR is quite rested and refreshed. Practically his old cocky self! Whoever gets him tomorrow, please be kind!
Hey, Kim, my son also likes girls (ditzy or non *g*) although his girlfriend is a very smart and talented young lady (she's a great artist) Yes to video games, but he's not so much on arguing. He leaves that to his younger sister :-)
flchen1, yes, the first meeting of Chocolate Lovers United will be held at Sees. Following meetings will be held the first, second and fourth Saturdays of every month. When it's time for the meeting to be on the East coast, we can go to Hershey PA *g*
Caren, I never had any cravings when I was pregnant - thank goodness I never craved beets! *g* And honestly, I'm sure I couldn't stand celery, no matter where it was grown. But I adore asparagus! Especially roasted asapargus :-)
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