Okay, Here I Go

According to Oprah, when you write something down, you make a commitment to that thing. This has not, um, proven especially true for me in my life but I am willing to suspend my eye-rolling, cynical outlook (well, okay, my cynical outlook. The eye rolling seems to happen anyway.) in order to commit to my New year's Resolutions.

It's an odd thing, though. Normally, I'm all full of Pollyanna-esque optimism and motivation and self-help jargon when it comes to New year's resolutions. I do love a good start to things. But this year, I guess I am more realistic about what I want to achieve in 2009 and the amount of work it's going to take. What I feel is more like resignation.

Ah, well, we can't all be Pollyanna every second of the day. Not even me.

Drum roll, please. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the Barb Cooper 2009 New Year Resolutions! Ta da!

1. Get fit and healthy Announcing the End to the Wallowing. I've been wallowing around in all the things I can't do and how awful I feel in my skin but I haven't been DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT! I haven't explored a lot of alternatives when it comes to the chronic pain of my rebuilt foot. I haven't tried a lot of different forms of exercise now that I can't run or walk. I haven't come up with a better eating plan. I've been just wallowing around in self-indulgence and wine. Now, my friends, the time has come to DO SOMETHING. I am serving notice --2009 will not be the Year of the Couch. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, done with it. So far, the first bricks of my new resolve are to get at least 30 minutes of cardio training six days a week, to do some strength training twice a week, to explore yoga and Tai Chi and standing on my head, if I have to, until I find the form of exercise that I feel passionate about enough to, well, you know, DO IT.

As far as food goes, it's kind of tricky with me. I think I do better with either a semi-conscious attempt to just cut down, or one of those plans that provides the food for you so you don't have to think about it. The more I think about food, the more I eat. I'm going to try just eating half of whatever it is. If that doesn't work, I figure something else out. Also? I'm going to break the nightly wine and cheese habit.

2. Write something besides the blog I've been given this enormous opportunity with this move to New York. I'm not that involved with the schools. I don't have a big social circle. My husband travels a fair amount. Life is pretty simple right now (famous last words) and I have the luxury of time for the first time in decades. I'm going to finish my book "Making Roux." And, after I finish it? I'm going to actually shop it around to some agents.

3. Become a REAL knitter. I want to take my knitting to a higher level so I can hang with the cool cats at Knit Night. So far, I've knitted socks and a couple of baby hats. I want to take on sweaters and cables and I want to learn to read knitting charts. I want to learn how to REALLY weave in the ends (instead of what I do, which is, um, without real technique and mostly resembles cutting the yarn short and hoping no one notices.

4. Hire someone or find some other way to get organized. You know, I have the genetic predisposition (German) to be able to keep an organizational structure going. But I seem to lack the ability to set one up! I am going to find someone to help me come up with a system for dealing with the six million pounds of paper clutter that comes home from my children's schools. I'm going to find a way to make it easier for my kids to organize and store their toys. (Ditto husband.) I'm going to get our closets organized and install new cabinets where we need more storage. I do so much better, feel so much better, think so much better and am HAPPIER when I am in clean, organized surroundings and I'm willing to work hard to keep them that way. But first, I need a system.

5. Finish our basement. This one could actually be part of number 4 but I've listed it separately because it's a big undertaking. My kids need a playroom and we need a guest suite and I'd like for our home gym to be a little nicer than some machines sitting on concrete in a cold and damp space. It's going to be costly because we have to have an egress window and we have to address the inadequate electricity and the propensity for flooding and also, I want a bathroom down there. It needs to happen, though, so I'm writing it down. Maybe this is the year I learn to install dry-wall!

6. Plant a huge freaking garden. Okay, so this isn't really a New Year's Resolution --more like a reward for all the other stuff. Oh, how I loved my garden last year! This year, it's going to be bigger and better!

and, um, are you ready?

7. Get a puppy in the spring or summer. I know what you're thinking: why set myself up again for certain heartbreak? But the thing is...there's just something missing in our family now that Sydney is gone. And oh, you guys, I miss her so much. So. Much. After the last snow melted, I was walking in the back yard and saw her grave and it seemed like my heart broke all over again. Don't get me wrong, I love Scout but he's just...not sufficient for me. We'll have to think hard about the timing of things since we're planning a few trips in the first half of 2009 and puppies need so much in the way of care and interaction and training. We're planning sort of a longer trip in July and maybe the puppy will have to wait until after that, I don't know.

So, that's it. I'm sure I'm forgetting something huge, but it's a start. I know you all will hold me accountable, just in case the fact that I wrote all this down isn't commitment enough.

Happy New Year!