Thursday, January 3, 2008

The Thursday Three


Well, it's a New Year and you know what that means...


New Year's Resolutions!


Yeah, yeah, I know. Most well-intentioned resolutions last about as long as celebrity rehab, but still. Hope springs eternal and all that jazz. So, as a cockeyed optimist, here is my list for 2008. If things go well I'll keep you all updated. If you don't hear another word about any of these things, well...there's always next year.



#1. Be a better me. Get healthy. Lose weight. Remember to take my vitamins and put on moisturizer every day. Take a little more care with my appearance so I don't look like ass half the time. (Three quarters?) Try to not leave the house in my pajamas. Grapple with the fine art of moderation. Laugh more and worry less. Live in the moment. Enjoy every day. Or at least most of them.




#2. Step out of my comfort zone with my writing. I'm not entirely sure what I mean by this, so I suppose the first step is to figure that out. But I do know that somehow in the last year I've gained some confidence in my writing. Now I just have to see where it goes - if anywhere. Starting this blog was a huge step out of my comfort zone. Now I'm going to push the envelope. Somehow.






#3. Landscape my yard. Not the whole damn double lot, but at least start the front. Expect lots of cussing and crying, because I don't know what the heck I'm doing. But I'm going to learn, and I'm going to do as much of it myself as I can. I can't afford to pay someone to do it and it isn't something the FG has the slightest interest in, so that leaves...moi. All advice gratefully received. If you have a curse filter on your computer, install it now. You'll need it.



What are your resolutions for 2008?

23 comments:

ped crossing said...

Ditto for #1. Thanks for writing it for me.

As for the yard, this is what we did. Our neighbor across the street has the most beautiful yard. We got to be good friends, she rips out plants all the time. We take them. Some make it, some don't, we rip some out, we keep some. No matter what they were free. This allowed us to experiment and figure out our yard. So far so good. Landscaping is always a work in progress. And try to have fun. I can say this because Ducky is the one that does most of the yard stuff. My job is to prune hydrangeas, roses and my curly willow.

Susan said...

I am with you on number three! I want to get the yard looking better. I also want to save enough money to get new kitchen cabinets and counters and have the floor refinished (kitchen only - I am a realist). My third is that I want to slow down time a little. Wish me luck with number three. I'd love to lose some weight, too, or at least walk everyday.

Pam said...

i didn't make resolutions this year...but whenever you come around my place again, you'll see why lol i think you should write a novel...everyone seems to be doing it so why not you? or you could start w some short stories?

Irene said...

My only resolution is to stay in balance as much as possible. If I achieve that, I will be very happy. All other things that I achieve besides that, will be icing on the cake.

Good luck with your resolutions. You do ask a lot of yourself. Even number 1 consists of multiple items to do better. Don't be too hard on yourself, take it easy.

Louisa said...

Ooooh landscaping! That can be so much fun (if you have enough space - and from the sounds of it you do).

Why don't you buy a book on landscaping, I once got lost in a stack of those at the library after buying a little house. Unfortunately it came with a little garden too, and I'd have needed another 5 or so just to do justice with the ideas those books gave me. ;-)

Sounds like some good new year's resolutions. This is my list for 2008: http://louisa123.wordpress.com/2007/12/31/2008-whoohoo-bring-it-on/

Potty Mummy said...

I agree with Irene; you're setting the bar quite high (although what else are resolutions for?).

Having said that, the beauty of living in Central London is that we don't have a back yard. Well, not much of one anyway. So, since it involves very little effort, I am perfectly happy to accept your No3 as one of mine - but the other two sound a little difficult. Perhaps my remaining two should be find impetus, and finish what I start. Even if it's only writing my to-do list...

Flowerpot said...

Good resolutions RC. And you've already read mine on my blog!

Jo Beaufoix said...

Blimey RC, you have a ton of stuff under the first one. You should definitely push the envelope with your writing. You're really very talented.
I'm going for a healthier me, and the writing one myself I think. I really want to finish my Nano novel and see if I can get it published. It needs work, but you have to try right?

kitten said...

I didn't any New Year Resolutions, but #2 would be a good for me.
Good Luck & Happy New Year!

-Ann said...

I'm with you on 1 and, in a way, on 2. I need to get a decent draft of my novel together and get it out to people. I've been dragging my feet for far too long.

As for #3 - you've inadvertantly hit on a blog topic that's been simmering in my head for a while. I'll have to write it soon, so you can learn from my mistakes.

Akelamalu said...

Well I haven't been as ambitious as you in my resolutions - just lose weight and get fitter or just fit in my case!

Good luck with all your resolutions I can't see the writing will be any problem at all to you honey! :)

Kim said...

I don't really make resolutions. It doesn't work as well for me as keeping goals in mind for each month. I guess I am a short term kinda girl when it comes to achieving different things. Or, as my granny always said, watch your pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.

laurie said...

wow. isn't no. 1 like six resolutions all rolled into one huge mammoth daunting one?

yowser, RC. how will you measure success with that? do you have to do all of it?

i like to keep my resolutions simple:

GET OUT OF BED EVERY DAY.

DON'T FORGET TO BRUSH THE TEETH!!

GET TO YOUR 9 A.M. JOB WELL BEFORE 10.

etc etc.

as for landscaping, i've tried. doug refuses to even dig a hole; he hates yardwork. i don't much like it either. i have found that loading up the side gardens with perennials is helpful because they come back on their own and i hardly have to do a thing.

aims said...

I'm with Laurie on this one RC -

1. Get out of bed every morning
2. Try and stay awake

That should do it for me.

Aoj and The Lurchers said...

My resolution for this year is not to make any. ;)

Happy in the Abyss said...

I decided not to make any this year that had to do with my appearance. Why mess with perfection?

I will read a book every month. I have already finished the first one. YEA FOR ME!

I will cook more. Well, at least LEARN to cook. I have all these pots and pans...what are they for, again?

Laugh more...and not just at myself. i want to have more fun with the kids, the hubby...everyone. I am going to try not to take things so seriously!

Anonymous said...

Your writing is excellent so whatever being out of your comfort zone is I think you've done a pretty good job of it so far.

I will have to make a list of my resolutions and blog them soon. I've been snowed under recently so haven't blogged much.

Crystal xx

the rotten correspondent said...

I've been nailed by a cold and have been lying (moaning) on my bed surrounded by dogs. And I finally caught up on all my blogging buds. Have I mentioned how much I love this laptop??

ped crossing - I may have to try that. I need a mentor. One with a) a lot of patience and b) a good sense of humor.

my two cents - I can't believe how frickin' expensive it is to refinish floors these days. When I was growing up my mom and I did it ourselves, but I'm sure that wouldn't fly today.

ciara - thanks for saying that. Doesn't everyone think they have a novel in them? I'm almost afraid to wish.

sweet irene - I'm really not that hard on myself. I just figure if I throw a bunch of stuff out there I'll do some of it. No matter how little!

And I think your resolution is a very good and sensible one.

louisa - hello to you! And I'm off to look at your list. I did get some gardening books, but it was like reading some non-sensical language. I'll have to give it another shot.

potty mummy - no high bars here. Just figure it's easier to shoot fish in a full barrel!!

flowerpot - I hope they last more than a week, don't you?

Jo - of course you have to try. I think you're going to be very happy at how your novel goes. We all know you've got it in you.

kitten - I don't normally do resolutions, but this year I thought what the heck...

ann - oh lord. Gardening mistakes. Get it written quickly, okay? I want to avoid any pitfalls I can.

akela - thank you. I think being fitter is a good goal,don't you? It can mean whatever you want it to mean.

kaycie - short term is a good way to go. It's easier to tell yourself something for a month than for a year.

laurie - I like your resolutions. And I think Doug and the FG are related. When I say he has no interest, I mean he has NO INTEREST.

aims - ah, yes. The measurable goal. My kind of resolution.

aoj - that's usually mine, too. I don't know why I swung the other way this year.

happy in the abyss - those are all good goals. Why mess with perfection, indeed?

the rotten correspondent said...

crystal - thank you for that. what a nice thing to say. I look forward to your list when you dig yourselves out.

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

Oooo, you're going to be busy. But the good kind of busy, so it's all good.

I want that yard.

Faye said...

RC, I'm puzzled by the landscaping resolution, if that's your yard in the picture, what's wrong with it? Oh wait, the images are from google or I'm going to be real discouraged--please don't tell me you can strike that yoga pose. . .

My take on resolutions are in a Jan. 1 post. More attention to priorites than resolving. I would like to be able to get in that yoga pose of your #1 resolution but am still working on "Now get up off your mat with control and grace. . ."

the rotten correspondent said...

Kimberly - I want that yard, too. That's my problem.

Faye - we can thank google for those images, because if we waited until my yard looked like that or I could strike that yoga pose the list would be titled...

FantasyLand 2008

Teresa said...

Is the photo your front or back yard?
I began rejuvenating our front yard last year. It is an evolving process as most things at our house tend to be, if not for lack of money, then for lack of time. As a gardener and to lower my carbon footprint, I intend on purchasing only plants from Washington and northern Oregon. Also I intend on looking for plant swaps, a cheap way to expand your plant collection and meet other local plant crazed folks.