And Another Year Begins

last year, i listed my resolutions for the year.  this year, i'm doing a recap.  which resolutions did i stick with?  which ones did i give up on?  what's new for 2008?

1. walk/run 100 miles to April 1 along with rachel -- commit to using my elliptical trainer and join a gym if necessary and then actually go. 

Yeah, that didn't last long.  I don't think it lasted past the first week.  so this resolution is back on my list.  again.  and to show my good intent, i'm going to go for my inaugural walk after i finish this post.

2.  lose on average 1 lb  0.5lb (per a physician's advice) a week.  i feel a little foolish making this resolution for the gazillionth time.  but like a smoker trying to quit, the odds are that one doesn't succeed the first, third or 50th time.

Ha!  I bet you thought this resolution died a quiet death too.  I'll admit that I let things go early on, with the best of intentions in the morning and ending the day with "i'll start tomorrow.  i promise."  and then in september, in a last ditch effort, i joined jenny craig.   i've since lost about 11 lbs.  it's been slow, but it's better that way.  it's true, i eat jenny meals for the most part.  they are ... ok.  but i've increased my vegetable consumption, eating more than the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, and i've really cut down on the number of servings of carbs, my "bete noir."  and then there's my counselor, which is probably the best thing about the plan.   i can lie to myself, but she keeps me honest.   

so for 2008, my resolution is to continue on this path.   i'll continue to post about my progress here. 

for my regular life

1.  a new job and/or career plan in 2007. 

i'm still at my old job but in 2007 i decided to pursue a teaching certificate to teach high school biology.  to help me prepare for exams that i'm taking this spring, i took a general biology class in the fall.  i kicked ass, scoring perfectly on every exam.  i guess you can take the girl out of the lab but you can't take the lab out of the girl. 

2.  a new home for 2007 -- it's time to move -- this is something that J and I both want and have talked about for years now.  a couple of weekends ago we saw a house that we both loved but was a bit impractical for our lifestyle.  but it inspired me anyway to dream again.  see, i don't always go after what i want for fear that i somehow don't deserve it.

this didn't happen but with the new windows and the new siding,  and in 2008, an updated basement, it'll almost be like getting a new house.   

3.  cut down on tv watching -- be more selective in my choices.  i don't read nearly as much as i used to and watching bad television means that i spend less time in my already full schedule being active.

i only watch tv if i'm spinning or knitting.  i don't (and can't) just sit there.  so i may not watch less television, but at least now i'm productive.  thanks to the writers' strike, there will be even less tv in my future.  i'm not a big fan of reality television.

for my creative life

1.  inspired by the great site photojojo, i'm going to take a picture a day for a year.  i'll be posting those photos here.

i did this until november.  the purpose of this exercise was to improve my photography.  by imposing a one photo a day rule to my life and with my schedule of spending daylight hours  either in my car, or in a windowless office, i sometimes just took stupid pictures of things like the crap in my yard without really thinking about what i was doing.  and that wasn't really what i wanted to do.

i also pushed myself by submitting some of my photos for the knitty calendar.  i didn't make the calendar, but my photos did make the honorable mention pool.  and i also did better than expected with my photo cards, especially since i expected that no one would be interested.  these were small successes but were very exciting for me.

2.  push myself knitting and spinning wise -- more socks, more lace.  in 2006 i tried socks, lace and i learned how to spin.  this year i need to progress past the basics.  try my hand at some dyeing too.  i have a kit that i've yet to use.

did i progress?  i don't know.  i did spin though. and i knit and i crocheted.  i jumped on the ripple bandwagon, pushing a few of you over to the dark side, for which i'm very proud.  i experimented with fun fur without being dragged through the mud.  ha!  i knit lace socks and a chevron scarf.  i joined up and did my own thing.  didn't do any real dyeing though.  that's on my list for 2008.

3.  get on paper or in yarn ideas that i have and not belittle those ideas.   

who knew that in 2007, my fun fur x-mas tree would make it on tv?  thanks stitchy and knitty gritty.   and thanks to those of you who have liked my gathered scarf pattern.  i've got other ideas for 2008.  i guarantee that some will hurt your eyes, i hope, in a good way of course. 

4.  start and finish both the lizard ridge and mitered square blankets.  in general, actually start projects instead of thinking about starting them.

well i never started the lizard ridge or the mitered square.  a ripple afghan distracted me.  for 2008, i can add the babette to the list.

5.  stop comparing what i do with what everyone else does.

i might as well stop being who i am.  i guess i could stop reading blogs, looking at flickr, raverly, books, etc.  or i can just learn to use those feelings of inadequacy for good rather than evil. 

6.  get past chapter 3 of the photoshop for dummies book and actually learn how to use photoshop.

failed.  still haven't gotten past chapter 3.  but this week i'm signing up for a digital workshop at the New England School of Photography. 

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on balance, i think i did pretty well.  the exercise thing didn't work too well, but i'm 11 lbs lighter than i was at this time last year.  i'm a better photographer.  i still haven't lost my science mojo.  and i'm not nearly as afraid of putting myself out there. 

now, i'm going to crawl out  of my navel and wish you all a great 2008. 

here's to good health, love, and success, however you define it.

ok, now i have to go for a walk.