I don’t really believe in New Year’s Resolutions. Not of the sort like “I will exercize/write/whatever-makes-me-feel-virtuous more” variety. They generally don’t work out.
I do, however, believe in New Year’s Plans. Things like “I will go to the pool and swim half an hour three mornings a week.” I did that several years ago and have kept up with it pretty religiously. Or “I will work on my mess-in-progress for so many hours a week”. I find that as long as I make it specific, I’m pretty good at following through.
This year, I’m making a simple resolution, to remember to treat myself as a valued employee of my writing business rather than a slave. This means rewarding myself for making progress, allowing myself sick time if necessary, and making the time to lunch with writer buddies more often.
Of course, plans sometimes go awry. I’d planned to host my writer buddies at my home today for a post-holiday detox/New Year’s recharging party (complete with Mimosas, egg and cheesy things and of course, plenty of chocolate). However, we’ve had a minor blizzard which puts me to Plan B, hanging with the kids. I’m also snatching an hour to write while they’re out playing in the snow.
I expect the plans for this evening should work out. My husband and I used to go out for New Year’s in the years BK (Before Kids) but after that, sleep deprivation and the difficulty of getting sitters took over. Although in spirit I like the idea of family-friendly First Night celebrations, it’s usually so bitterly cold in our area that we’ve gone over to “cocooning”. We have a nice dinner at home, including at least one new recipe for the New Year. This year it’s cannoli cheesecake. Afterwards we all get into our PJs and go into the finished basement (aka the Man Cave) to watch movies until midnight. We watch the ball drop, we hug and kiss and then we’re all in bed by about 12:05.
So what is everyone else doing today or this evening? And I wish you all a happy and prosperous 2009!
Elena
www.elenagreene.com
Cannoli cheesecake in the man cave, sounds like the best of times! We’re cocooning, too. Except for the teenage son, of course. My mom’s here from Wisconsin, my sister’s here from India (bearing yummy teas and beautiful curtains) so we’re watching movies and drinking champagne.
I think your New Year’s Eve sounds lovely, Elena! My preferred party is also to stay in with champagne and movies–I don’t like crowds or wild New Year’s drivers! But the SO (Significant Other, formerly known as Workplace Sweetie) is a musician and is playing somewhere tonight, so I am going out. I did buy a pretty new party dress at the post-holiday clearance sales, but I’m not sure it will fit after all the peppermint brownies 🙂
Amanda, I am so glad SO-aka-Workplace-Sweetie is still around. You haven’t mentioned him in ages.
I think your evening sounds like great fun.
Yours, too, janegeorge. Family, yummy teas, champagne and movies.
Elena, you create family rituals better than anyone I know. I am all admiration! Your evening sounds just perfect!
My SO aka husband aka buyer-of-IPhones hates to stay up late. In general neither one of us enjoy New Year’s Eve celebrations, so we always blow off the neighborhood party and cocoon til he crashes. That’s all good cuz then I can watch all the silly New Year’s shows he’d hate.
My daughter and her boyfriend are going to a party, though, so I’ll worry about the drunk drivers.
And the wind! We are having big winds here in the Washington DC area.
Jane, Indian tea and fabrics sound wonderful. Enjoy your celebration!
Amanda, have fun with your SO!
Diane, my husband and I come from very different backgrounds but there’s little from either that works for us. But that leaves a lot of freedom to create new rituals and change them up now and then, too.
Hope everyone’s celebrating in the way that suits you! I’m off to start making dinner now. 🙂
What lovely plans, one and all! Unfortunately, I’m working. So I will revel in the knowledge that others are enjoying the evening. (I do like my work; I’d simply planned to be finished by 5pm; not happening.)
When I had my dog, the two of us would watch the New Year come in all evening long. She was terrified of fireworks, but the ones on TV didn’t bother her so much. They also masked the sound of the ones outside. Watch out for your furry family members, tonight!
~Judy
Happy, Happy New Year, Riskies!!
All of your plans sound lovely. I had to work today and will have to work tomorrow so no outrageous celebrating for me.
My furry kids and I will cuddle up in the bed and watch the festivities on television. We may or may not make it until midnight, but I can count on my furry prince with attitude, aka Frodo the chihuahua, to give me a midnight kiss.
Happy 2009, everybody!!!
I’m not much of one for parties, unless they’re the casual gaming/hanging out kind of party, so Todd and I went out for a casual (but yummy) dinner and will watch some TV tonight! Probably including that whole ball thing (though the knowledge that it actually happened three hours before my midnight always makes it feel a little, um, fake to me.) 🙂
Cara
Happy New Year, Riskies!
I’ve never been all that into going out on New Year’s Eve. When we were in Princeton the city had a nice thing one year where you could wander around from place to place–in some places there were concerts, in others art and craft demonstrations, various restaurants and coffee places served snacks, and in one place old black-and-white movies were playing. Then before midnight a bagpiper gathered everyone together for the countdown. It was freezing cold, but fun; unfortunately they didn’t do it again the next year for some reason…
This year it was Season 1 DVDs of The Big Bang Theory and watching the ball drop. 🙂 Less exciting, but still fun. And tomorrow we’ll watch the Rose Parade on TV.
Todd-whose-New-Year’s-resolution-is-to-spend-the-next-year-thinking-up-better-resolutions