At the beginning of the year, I wrote up a bunch of resolutions for myself, in order to make 2008 a more perfect year. I feel like today’s a good day to catch up on them, because if I were to write about what happened last night, I could sum it up with the following sentence: Don’t go see The Ruins, and Dutchess of Kickball, Flick and Chatie, please accept my apology for suggesting that we should go.
Moving on, this is what I resolved to do, and how it’s going:
- Write thank you notes and send them. Via actual mail. Haven’t sent a one, even to the people who came to my birthday party and brought me nice things. I totally suck on this one. Is four months too late, Emily Post?
- Remove the prizes from their box and send them to the winners of NaCoPoMo. Via actual mail. I did it! Mostly… RDL sent me her address after I sent the other 5 packages, so I still need to send hers. And Deb’s watch is still sitting on my desk and I need to do that. No more contests until I get this done.
- Get to my pre-gimp activity level and weight. Almost! Vegan March helped a lot, and now that I’m running again, there will be no stopping me.
- Compete in a swim meet. Done! And I just signed up for another one!
- Not gossip about people. If they are in the same room as me. Uh… Might have slipped once or twice here. Does “outside” count as the same room?
- Write something other than the blog. Something where the subject isn’t “me.” Thank you, Chose Your Own Blogventure!
- Clean my stove after I use it. Yeah, and do the dishes right away, too. ha. Depends on how you define “after I use it.” I cleaned it yesterday, after I used it on Sunday.
- Visit NYC more often. Refuse to be bridge and/or tunnel. Need to work on that one, but I’m going down again next Sunday for a haircut.
- Save money by not blowing it on frivolous things like $25 tickets on the train to the city. Credit card bill was a little higher than I meant it to be last month.
- Never pay a late fee again. Not so much, see above.
- Read more books, write down what they are so I can remember when I lend them to friends. I have been keeping track, but I can’t be bothered to sign up to record them on the social networking sites.
- Wash my face every night. Okay, I started this, but then I stopped because it was making me break out more. It turns out that I have very dry skin.
- Generally be less of a slob. (ed note: yeah, right.) That worked for about a week.
- Not always have to eat everything on my plate. If I feel full, I will use my food containers and create leftovers. I cannot exercise this control over pasta, which has control over me.
- Prove that volunteering isn’t just for the churchy folk. Does working a second job count as volunteering? No? Damn.
- Really get a handle on the lives of celebrities so I don’t have any more awkward moments where I can’t talk about Britney and Lindsey and Paris. Accomplished by subscribing to Celebitchy on my RSS feed. Really, ask me anything.
I guess I still have some work to do before I’m a perfect person. I’ll get right on that, I swear.

27 responses so far ↓
Ben // April 9, 2008 at 8:33 am
Ooh, not eating everything on the plate is a new one for me too…it’s easier with some meals than it is with others - you know, the good ones.
And I only eat good meals. That’s why life is so hard.
mickey // April 9, 2008 at 8:34 am
I’d say that’s a pretty good start. Good enough, in fact, that you can probably just discard the rest and call it a success. This is why I don’t get ahead in life, though.
Keep up the good work.
I’m so down with that kind of plan.
Dutchess of Kickball // April 9, 2008 at 8:38 am
Please feel free to come over and raid my bookshelf for any books I haven’t returned, since with this new book club I’ll never get around to reading them.
No way, chicky, I’ve got too many of my own!
nancypearlwannabe // April 9, 2008 at 8:54 am
Wow, you’re at close to 50% right there and it’s only April! You will have achieved total human perfection by 2009. And then you will be made into a cylon.
Maybe that’s when my cylon programming will kick in.
3carnations // April 9, 2008 at 8:55 am
Totally send the thank you notes even though it has been 4 months. People will appreciate it, and possibly also be slightly amused!
It’s true, and I live to amuse.
Allie // April 9, 2008 at 8:58 am
Woah! So, are you the 5th cylon?
NPW! You figured it out!
Would that be totally weird if in the end it was just some random viewer?
stefanie // April 9, 2008 at 9:08 am
Aren’t the “visit NYC more” one and the “Don’t waste money on $25 tickets to the city” one contradictory? Would eliminating one or the other from your list help you out some? Or is there a cheaper-than-$25 way to get to the city? I wish I could get to NYC for $25.
Also, I need to Google what the hell a cylon is.
Those contradictions are why it is so hard to be me.
stefanie // April 9, 2008 at 9:09 am
Oh. Battlestar Galactica. Should have known.
Nerds.
You know that you would love it…
Poppy // April 9, 2008 at 9:11 am
Very good to know that reading Celebitchy is enough to keep up.
I like your plan to visit NYC more. Take me with you?
Okay, let me know when!
apollocreed // April 9, 2008 at 10:04 am
what has Billy Dee Williams been up to?
Flying the Millennium Falcon around, trying to find a parking spot.
Hope // April 9, 2008 at 10:48 am
Ah…NaCoPoMo…how I miss the edible part of my prize…since I already eated it.
Yeah, but thank goodness there are more available in the world!
Jenn // April 9, 2008 at 10:58 am
I love writing and sending thank you notes. Finding cute cards is like my job. I’ll write them for you!
That’s a good talent to have!
Lara // April 9, 2008 at 11:02 am
I really love that one of your resolutions is to keep up on celebrity gossip! Hee! Also - re the dry skin, do you see a dermatologist? I have relatively clear skin but mine is super-dry as well, and I use a moisturizer that I buy at the derm. - it doesn’t require a prescription, though. Anyway, it’s called Hymed and I absolutely love it.
I don’t think my skin’s in need of professional help, it just can’t get washed every night.
sadieandleo // April 9, 2008 at 11:59 am
What a great idea, going back and seeing what you’ve stuck to, I don’t think I can do this without feeling like a complete failure. I live through your successes!
I fear that you live through my failures as well…
Laurel // April 9, 2008 at 12:43 pm
All in all, I’d say that you’ve made good progress! That’s a lot of goals.
Yeah, I’m feeling okay with myself.
-R- // April 9, 2008 at 12:53 pm
I am impressed. I couldn’t even keep up my no gossip rule for a couple of months for Lent.
I might not have done as well with that one as I made it out to be.
Aaron // April 9, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Wow, I’m actually quite impressed, Christmas Tree. You will have achieved the fabled Scientology status of “clear” before you know it.
Is that the level where I have to give birth silently?
courtney // April 9, 2008 at 1:44 pm
For your resolution about recording what books you read, you should join Goodreads! It’s easy and fun, and be sure to add me as a friend when you join.
I shall continue to resist social networking book groups until I’m assured that I won’t ever have to upload my library again.
The Modern Gal // April 9, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Also impressed by your color-coordinated assessment system. You should add that as an after-the-fact resolution to your list.
P.S. Goodreads is really quite easy. I talked my mom, the voracious romance novel reader, into it and she loves it.
Your PS almost anticipated my comment response above!
kt // April 9, 2008 at 6:51 pm
the ruins was unreal
but I’m still glad we went!
kt // April 9, 2008 at 6:52 pm
kt // April 9, 2008 at 6:54 pm
ok then, that was a sweet comment. I’m trying really hard to insert an “O face” smiley but I lack the skills. the ruins was unreal and gross and absurd, but I’m still glad we went!!
He he, O face! Look for my Friday post, I’m working on it already…
kristabella // April 9, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I can not get myself to wash my face every night either! I know it only takes a few minutes, but my brain thinks it takes 30 minutes.
So I just go to bed.
Oh, there are so many nights I’d love to go to bed with full makeup and unwashed teeth. I just don’t want to wake up that morning to deal with it.
kir // April 9, 2008 at 8:11 pm
i’m the opposite — if i don’t wash my face i break out . it sucks because i rather enjoy falling asleep in my clothes with makeup on, teeth unbrushed, and contacts in (wine makes me tiiiiired). but by the time i wake back up (around 1 or 2) it’s too late. too late.
Ann // April 10, 2008 at 8:04 am
Seems like you’re making good progress. Good on you. I heard something on NPR the other day, about willpower. Turns out it’s a finite resource. So if all your effort is going into losing weight, you’re not going to be as able to keep up with other resolutions.
Hope // April 10, 2008 at 11:56 am
Oh I know there’s more AVAILABLE (although…not Christmas ones this time of year) but it just tastes so much better after sitting around for a month and then being sent through the mail. As they say on Ebay “it’s better when you win it.”
Mermu // April 10, 2008 at 1:47 pm
It’s never to late to say “thank you”….
-well…unless the recipient is dead. Then it might be too late.
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