New Year's Resolutions: An Update

It's been a few months since I made my New Year's Resolutions, so I figured an update was in order:

Write more -- Fail. I haven't really written anything of note since the new year started...but I did revise the opening of my novel. For the six billionth time. Since 2002. Yeah.

Be a better writer -- Fail Squared. Trust me. I re-read the opening.

Read more -- I've been pretty good about this one, actually. In the past two months, I have read the following:

Then We Came To The End by Joshua Ferris
Love All The People by Bill Hicks
The United States of Arugula by David Kamp
The Summer of Naked Swim Parties by Jessica Anya Blau
It's Not News, It's Fark: How Mass Media Tries To Pass Off Crap As News by Drew Curtis
Climbing The Mango Trees by Madhur Jaffrey

Next on the list, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Beautiful and the Damned. I'm excited. Fitzgerald takes me a while to sink into, but once I do it's incredibly rewarding.

Send Thank You Cards -- They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Mine will be paved with unsent Thank You cards.

Take more pictures -- I've been taking more snapshots which satiates me for now, but I definitely want to start taking better pictures and fiddling around with the settings on my camera.

Add To My Flickr Favorites -- I've been pretty good about this and have discovered some pretty great pictures.


Photo by Slidercleo.

This is probably my new favorite because it makes me think of this:



Eat healthier -- Pshaw. Not as long as macaroni and cheese exists in this world.

Eat better -- I had the world's best veggie burger at National Mechanics' when my sister was in town and I'm seeing Dana in May, so I'm sure the prospect of Middle Eastern cuisine is in my very near future.

Spend regular quality time at the gym -- It hasn't really been regular but last time I was there, I lifted 40lbs. For a girl who teeters around the 100lbs mark, this isn't too bad.

See the family in Florida -- I'm working on it.

See the Smithsonian in D.C. -- I'm also working on this.

Purchase cute and sassy costume jewelry and band tees -- No on the band tees but yes on the cute and sassy jewelry. Dan got me the Octopus necklace for my birthday:



but insists that it looks like HP Lovecraft's Cthulu.



I disagree.

Pick up the guitar again -- Another fail. Maybe this summer. I've always preferred playing outside.

Floss regularly -- Bi-weekly (and by bi-weekly, I mean whenever I can be arsed to). Does that count?

Make more mix CDs -- This one is a technical fail solely because the CD-ROM drive in my computer gave me the finger and decided to stop working. However, I have been making more playlists for my iPod. I have a collection of pop-punk entitled, 'Young, Dumb and Full of....' because I am a classy, classy dame.

Remember to remember -- I'm working on it.

An Open Letter To 2008

Dear 2008:

Hi! It's nice to finally meet you! Sorry I was all doped up on Tylenol Cold when we were first introduced. Hopefully, you'll give me a second chance to make a first impression.

So, here you are -- all new and shiny and filled with limitless potential and promise.

I really want us to get along. 2007 was pretty good to me and I'd like to see you live up to the legacy of your predecessor.

That being said, let's talk employment. Hopefully, my work authorization card will be coming in the mail any day now and I'd really appreciate it if I could get a job. I'm not asking for my dream job or anything. I just want to work five days a week, hopefully utilize some of the skills I've learned in school, make a decent salary and if we could do margaritas with the co-workers every now and then, that would be awesome.

Secondly, you're a pretty important year when it comes to politics and I would absolutely hate to see you go down the path that your buddies 2000 and 2004 did. Man, what were they thinking? That being said, here's to hoping that you Barack the Vote in 2008. It's time for a change and I'm a firm believer that he's the man America needs.

Hmmmm, what else? Oh! Movies. You know, on the cinema front, 2008? You're looking pretty good already. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (which totally sounds like a Zelda title, thus making it even cooler), Harold and Kumar 2 and The Dark Knight (in IMAX, nonetheless!!)? You've barely begun and you've already outdone yourself! Looks like I'm going to be spending lots of time at the movies this year. Do they sell Coke Zero at the concession stand? I hope so.

Anyway, my other hopes for our relationship this year are pretty simple: I want this to be a great year for music. I want Dan and I to move into our own place. I want to find really amazing local tapas, Indian, Greek and Lebanese food. I want to make lots of indelible memories with Dan. I want to see my family and friends more. I want to write more, read more, work out more and become a better cook. I want a cuter wardrobe (more frocks and bright cheery colors) but more than anything else -- I want the people I love to be happy. I want them to be healthy and lucky. I want them to eat well and laugh often. I want them to know they are loved and accomplish everything they dream of doing. In short -- I want them to have a fabulous time with you.

That's about it. I'm really looking forward to getting to know you better. In the words of Jack Johnson, "I can tell that we are going to be friends."




Peace in the Middle East and everywhere else.

Lots of love!

Jaime xx