2008 Resolutions: Hey, They Still Apply in February, Right?

So, I am very late. But this gives time for resolutions to sink in, right? To be considered? Surely it's better this way? It's not?

Oh well. I seem to have a lot fewer resolutions this year than last year,
when I had a whopping 27. A lot of them were about saving money and eating less, and I did, um, NEITHER of those things. In fact, I'm sort of beginning to think that 2007 was a complete failure on many fronts. I blame it on the weather.

But it does not matter! 2008 is a whole new year!

2008 Resolutions:

1. Wean myself off of iTunes and their ridiculous copyright protected mp4 teasing. Resolve to use Amazon for all mp3 buying instead. Also refrain from using iTunes to burn CDs; investigate Nero instead. LT has complained about getting burned CDs with no way to play them on his computer or, indeed, see what song is playing.

2. Brush teeth and wash face every day! (Getting better at this.) (Um, sort of.)

3. Eat vegetable dish every day, either raw or cooked. Eat fruit at breakfast meal, again either raw or cooked. Include vegetable and fruit side dish with lunch every day, either raw or cooked. Now that I CAN eat meat and cheese that's all I'm eating. But it's important to note that a lot of vegans don't eat anything besides peanut butter and pasta. Forcing yourself to not eat meat or cheese does not mean that you will naturally eat vegetables instead. Trust me on this one.

4. Buy digital scale. (Done!)

5. Rearrange kitchen. The arrival of my new dishwasher changed the landscape a lot, and now I apparently have EVERY appliance I own sitting out on my rather limited counter space. This must change.

6. Limit self to five crackers with spread/cheese before meals. And when I wasn't eating cheese this was tahini. I have a tendency, laid in by long years of watching my parents and grandparents indulge in a few slices of cheese on crackers before dinner, and maybe a handful of nuts, to munch on something yummy before dinner. As I am from a completely different generation and have zero self-control, this becomes ten crackers with thick slices of cheese, several forkfuls of tahini, and maybe a few scoops of nutella. You know what I should be eating before dinner? Salad. A serving of spinach has 35 calories in it. Ten slices of cheese, several forkfuls of tahini and a few scoops of nutella has about 870 calories. No. Joke.

7. Only eat four meals a day. So that I can't eat crackers and cheese and call it a meal.

8. Stick to The Budget. Because travel to Japan, Pittsburgh, L.A., and NYC is not cheap!

9. Finish novel. Self-explanatory.

10. Pay Off Car. This is a big one, but possible, assuming I spend barely anything on shoes/books/makeup/non-essentials for 2008, I could theoretically do this. And of course, assuming that I stay on a very cheap grocery budget and barely drive anywhere.

11. Sweep and mop apartment weekly.

12. Keep running three times a week. Eventually bump up to 30 minutes or three miles, whichever comes first.

13. Do more yoga.

14. Investigate weight lifting. (Side goal: increase upper body strength to more than that of a common house fly.)

15. Truly try to use up everything in your house this year before you buy new. Especially true with grocery shopping, obviously.

And...Things I DID Do in 2007:

1. Resolved to drink more water...and did so!
2. Resolved to detox more...and did so! (At the end of the year.)
3. Resolved to try mineral makeup...and did so! I use Everyday Minerals, for those who care, and really like it.
4. Resolved to listen to the stations 98.1, 103.7, and KEXP more...and did so!
5. Resolved to use the library...and did so!
6. Resolved to see more NEW movies and read more NEW books instead of reading and watching the things I already know...and halfway achieved this.
7. Resolved to take my grandmother to see the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit...and did so!
8. Resolved to buy USED books and media, not new, and not be sucked in by Amazon's free shipping...and did so!
9. Resolved to attach monetary value to everything I own...and...sort of did so.

Things I DIDN'T Do:

Um, a lot. I bought fancy coffee during the week, I completely went haywire with my grocery shopping, I sent a few more thank you notes but not a lot, I packed my lunch and breakfast some days but not much, I did not listen to more live music and I never made it to Central Cinema. I did not clean out my magazine stash and craft supply box. I hardly ever shopped on Member Days at Madison Market and completely failed at creating a stranglehold on my finances. I didn't take a business class OR learn a language.

But that's fine! More to do this year!