Friday, January 2, 2009

Opening Drive

According to Myers-Brigg, I'm an ISTJ. Mostly that means my modus operandi is to be literal, concrete, rational, and logical. I'm also faithful, I like facts, and, I'm kind of predictable. It's January 2, 2009 and as much as I would love today's post to be about something unexpected, I can't. I can't let the new year come and go without delving into the obvious.

New Years Resolutions, it is.

Tell me if you agree. It seems, based on my observations, the world is divided into two kinds of people. Those who thrust themselves, excitedly, into the annual ritual of making new years resolutions and those who pride themselves on not getting caught up in the silly antics of the masses.

Me? I'm the former all the way! New Year's resolutions are a sport to me and I'm the Heisman winner... the gold medalist, the Master's master, Heavy Weight Champ of the World. I love New Years resolutions. To me... resolutions put the Score Board of Life at 0-0, in the first quarter, and all things are possible!

So yes, while yesterday's post was all about sharing nine things you are looking forward to in 2009, today's post is about sharing resolutions for the new year.  Sure they might be related.  It stands to reason, after all, that those things to which we most look forward are similar to those things about which we resolve to be better.  I'll share a personal example or two.

Yesterday I shared that some of what I'm looking forward to in 2009 include things such as (1) spending more time relaxing with my husband, (2) chipping away at making our house feel more settled, and (3) putting words to paper.

While my three examples might very well explain what I am looking forward to, New Years resolutions help explain how I see them manifesting.  For example...

I might look forward to  spending more time relaxing with my husband, but resolving to find at least one t.v. show a week that we can watch together - no kids - is how I hope to make that happen. I might look forward to making my house feel more settled, but working with an interior designer to help me select drapes for my windows is how I see that happening.  Finally, I might look forward to putting words to paper this year, but finding five hours each week to write is how I will assure my book has a beginning, a middle, and an end. 

If you didn't get a chance to post yesterday, jump right in today.  Tell us what you're  looking forward to in 2009 and then share how you resolve to make that happen.

This is Part I of a three-part series, Part II to be continued tomorrow.  Check back in on Saturday to find out where we're going with this.  Go ahead.  Resolve to do it! 

Don't want to get caught up in the silly antics?  Consider this.  The notion of resolutions dates back 4000 years to the Babylonians.  It seems, originally most resolutions revolved around committing to return something borrowed during the previous year (mostly farm equipment) to the person whose it was.  Tell us about something you borrowed this year and to whom you will return it.

Super Bowl Snack Throw Down
While we're loosely on the topic of Opening Drives and Heismans, we have our own Super Bowl Snack Throw Down with which to be concerned.  Here' a quick update and then some voting...  Neither Tera nor Richard submitted an entry last week.  This week, Maureen gets most valuable player for jumping through hoops to get her Battle Parmesan entry to Struble Suds in time!  She advances.

We need someone for Lori to battle against, as we are only two games away from the Super Bowl.  My proposal... draw a name of someone who submitted but lost in round one (Brian, Stacie, Julie, Katie, Treye, Heather, Nicole, or Cheryl).  Send a post letting me know if you want to participate in the January 11 Snack Throw Down (to be mailed by Wednesday,  1/7, a.m.).  I will draw from those names and announce the winner.

Today we must vote on TWO secret ingredients, since the next two battles are very close together (Melanie v. Susan on January 10 and Lori v. Wild Card Winner on January 11)
Quaker Oats or Lemon
Honey or Mint

Final note...
Beginning tomorrow, I will be posting from Leadershape, the week-long leadership institute in which I participate.  I tell you this, so you will understand if posts are more sporadic than normal.  Days are long and action-packed.  The only commodity hotter, this week, than the free time necessary to write posts are the brain cells necessary to be creative.

Signing off until tomorrow...

12 comments:

Peggy said...

My vote.... lemon & mint

I didn't partipate the last few days because it has been very hard for me to articulate my highs and lows, and I have difficulty sharing one, let alone 9 things I look forward to! (Sorry, call me Debbie Downer, or Peggy Pouter)

I love getting older, and the new challenges and learning experiences I gain each and every day (as my dad would say, 'Beats the alternative')are totally awesome...but as of yet... I have not thought of vacation plans, or have a desire to go some where exotic, new or relaxing. If I relaxed anymore I'd be a puddle.

As both of my children will be in high school next school year, I can only hope that I've given them all the tools to be good people, and hope all the harm of evil, drugs and alcohol stays clear of their path.

I love my husband dearly, but if we spent any more time together, we will start dressing alike!!

I will continue to do good deeds, smile at strangers, find RAK to devise, give out more greeting cards in hopes of creating more business, but it's way difficult to overcome the sadness I have felt in my heart, that I know these things should bring me joy, yet they don't.

I guess I vow to put all my clutter in one huge pile, and tackle it the way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time.

I look forward to the grass becoming green again when spring comes, a little sunshine on my cheeks, washing my Pilot to get all the salt off, planting flowers and making my front porch looking inviting.

Okay, I think I got about 9 things there! This post took me almost a half hour to write! I put way too much thinking behind my doing!!!

Hats off to a great 2009!!!

Nicole Zirnheld Aldridge said...

I'm sorry I had to forfeit the snack throw-down. It totally slipped my mind! My resolution is to be more organized so things like this don't happen again. ;-)

Claudia @ Highlowaha said...

Peggy... thanks for sharing. I'm sorry you are feeling some sadness right now and, at the same time, it sounds as though you are aware and appreciative of all the things you have to be thankful about. I would say that's probably true for many of us.

Which brings me to my next note - directed at Nicole, but true of us all. This is the great thing about joining the HLA community. NO JUDGEMENT!!!! The world will not end because Nicole missed the Snack Throw Down. We would much rather have her daily friendship on our blog than her Sunday snack. Yes, we will celebrate Maureen for her commitment to getting her snack submitted, but we will do it at the same time we recognize that all these highs and lows, strengths and weaknesses, peaks and valleys is what makes our community so rich and worth returning to each day.

Cheryl Houston said...

Normally- I'm the "don't get caught up in these kinds of things" because WHY? I don't finish anything I start. You already know that. But! In December, I finished not one but two art projects! I'm on a roll. So, though it was not on my looking forward to list I am resolving to making a list of projects that I have not finished and chip away at them one at a time. In doing this, I hope to clear some of the clutter in my junk room and while I'm at start organizing that room.

With that said there are also some projects that I want to start... uh oh...

The other thing I need and want to stay on task with are the repairs to my home. I've created a budget and hopefully there won't be too many emergencies this year but it will be a big spending year.

Peggy- I am hoping you just have the post holiday/winter blues and when the weather warms up you'll be shining again. Your posts always make me laugh and I'm so glad that you share your life with us.

I will vote for Lemon and Honey.

Brian K. Root said...

quaker oats & honey

Anonymous said...

Quaker Oats and Mint

I'm one of those people who never makes resolutions at the beginning of a new year, because frankly, I continuously resolve to do things and just do them. I already work out at least 3 hours a week, much more if my schedule allows it; keep organized; save money as much as college allows me to, so I am ready to move out soon after graduation; and really thats all my resolutions would involve anyways. Besides, I feel like why make a resolution when most people do and then break them? Why disappoint myself?

BUUUUUT, Dr. B's prompt for those of us who dont make resolutions...give something back that we have borrowed...HAHA this is funny for me, because I have something that was borrowed and sitting on my dresser to be returned. Its a movie. Not a huge deal, right? WRONG. Its my recent ex-boyfriend's. Its not the fact that I never see him anymore. Remember those three days a week I frequent the gym? Well, I see him then. He works at the front desk. That's how we met...And its not the fact that we dont even talk. He says hello, I say hi, how are you? His mom wont even let me go. She texts me at least once a week.

And two months after the big break up...I JUST HAVENT BROUGHT MYSELF TO GIVE THAT DARN MOVIE BACK! Its really silly, you see. I think about it constantly. In the two weeks I have been in cali, I have thought about it at least twice. I dont wanna keep the movie. This is comical to me, actually. I hate that I still have his movie, but I just cant talk to him.

OK, OK. I RESOLVE to talk to him more than "hello" and give the movie back this coming week.

I will let you know how it goes.

Anonymous said...

Oh, hey everyone! I'm back...again. Sorry for being MIA again for the past few days.

I'm going to do some quick catchin up before I post about today's blog.

2008 H's, L's & A's
H - getting married to Treye, seeing most of the family and so many of our friends at the wedding, watching several of my other friends get married to their best friends, Kristen & Jory having Jennifer brought in to her life, finding a beautiful apartment in Cleveland, Treye getting an amazing job offer, staying connected with old friends though HLA, road trip to Philly with Treye & Julie, seeing my godfather for the first time in 8 or 9 years, Obama being elected (now my kids can grow up and say "I want to be president some day" and I can believe them)

L - not having a "real" job since mid-August, having to go in to debt (just a little, but still more than we'd like), Julie moving to Arizona, my dad's health, my great aunt passing away, not getting to Chicago or Louisville to visit friends

A - I'm very lucky to have such great friends who have supported me through some extremely tough times, it's ok to be upset about things but you can't let it take away your life, finding a job was really tough this year...not just for me, but for a lot of my friends, too. I've learned a lot of other things, but this post is super long already!

9 things I'm looking forward to:
1. Starting a "real" job
2. Having money so we can pay off our debt, start saving, and quit living pay check to pay check (it's getting very old)
3. A nice tax return...please!
4. Obama :)
5. Traveling...if we don't get to Chicago some of our friends may kill us
6. Seeing what new challenges are put in front of Treye and I as a married couple
7. More friends are getting engaged and married...how exciting
8. Starting to work out again
9. Football season. I know, it's not over yet, but it's been long over for the Browns
10. Watching Jennifer grow up and Melanie & Mark having their baby

Last thing...then I'm out...I promise!

I'm not big on resolutions. I never seem to stick to them longer than a few weeks. I applaud anyone who can keep them for an entire year. Treye asked me not too long ago what percentage of people who make resolutions actually keep them longer than 3 months. I would assume not many.

Anonymous said...

I lied...one more thing. Oats & Honey.

maureen said...

Quaker Pats and Honey

Nine things I look forward to in 2009

1. 2008 being over
2. Krystens Sweet 16
3. Krysten learning how to drive
4. Starting a new business
5. Going on vacation with Chris
6. Demolishing and rebuilding my bedroom
7. Gutting my bathroom and re building it
8. Staying healthy
9. Paying off the Lexus

I guess thats all I have to work with. I hope 2009 is a wonderful year for everyone. My only resolution that I ever kept was to stop making New Years resolutions. It works for me.

As for the Super Bowl Snackdown!! I hope they like my snack now that they dont have another to fall back on. I guess they will survive!!!!

Kristen Giger said...

Quaker oats and honey...provided there are no allergies

azlori said...

Quaker Oats and Honey

Looking forward to seeing Julie tomorrow....although it means giving the jeep back! Maybe that should be a resolution...keep the jeep! =)
Hope the first two days or '09 has been good for everyone!

Anonymous said...

Gotta' make this quick because it's late and I really need some sleep:

Oats & honey get my vote.

Count me out of the snack throw down drawing. I'll be out of town with Lucian for a couple of weeks starting Tuesday.

I don't have a long list of resolutions, only a vague idea of things I'd like to do... guess I'm not exactly the resolution type. The only one that's even remotely concrete is that I'd like to write more. I'm going to take a writing class to help accomplish this, and I'm also going to try and actually write something in a blog I started ages ago. I'm open to pretty much any kind of writing because I love to do it; I'm simply committing to write more this year.

Happy new year! Crying baby means I have to rush upstairs and hit the hay once and for all.