So This is the New Year

And I don't feel any different.
[Oh Death Cab, how I love thee!]

But I want to.
I've never liked the word "resolution." It sounds too intense to me; too final. I feel like I need to be wearing a white wig and pounding a gavel when I say it, but maybe that's just me... Anyway, the point is, I don't like making resolutions because I don't like saying the word resolution. I also don't like breaking them [and let's be honest, how many people really stick to their resolutions?].

So instead of making resolutions, for 2011 I have decided to make Actionable Items I am Fairly Determined to Follow Through Withs [or AIIaFDtFTWs for short].

AIIaFDtFTW #1: Blog More.
I am currently a pretty pathetic blogger and there's really no excuse for it. Sure, my life gets pretty busy sometimes, especially with work, but there's no reason I can't make more time to write. Really it all comes down to laziness, and it's time I changed that. So for 2011, I'm aiming to post at least once every two weeks. To those who blog religiously, that probably seems like way too little, but considering my last post was nearly 2 months ago, I think it's a reasonable goal. Baby steps people, baby steps.

AIIaFDtFTW #2: Use cell phone minutes.
With social media completely taking over our lives, it's easy to neglect the telephone. I follow my friends on twitter, read their blogs, gchat with them and stalk them on Facebook, but how often do I actually call them? Pretty much never. And I don't like that. My friends and I are all scattered about and we don't get to see each other regularly, but I want to at least talk to them regularly. And I mean really talk to them, using more than 140 characters. Thus I feel that phone calls [or even a Skype or two] are very much in order. That's right ladies and gents, be on the lookout for an incoming call from moi.

AIIaFDtFTW #3: Eat like an adult.
For those of you who don't know me well, I have the diet of a five year-old. A very, very picky and probably obese five year-old. I'm fortunate enough to have a helluva metabolism so the mozzarella sticks, corn dogs and mountains of ice cream haven't taken a toll on my belly, but I'm fairly certain it ain't healthy regardless. Thus I intend to add a little color to my plate this year. Stomach, meet vegetable. Vegetable, stomach. I sure hope you two get along.

AIIaFDtFTW #4: Pick up a hobby.
I think it's about time I did something with my free time besides lay on the couch and watch TV shows I don't even like. In 2011, I would like to find a new hobby. I have yet to select said hobby, but we're only four days into the new year, so there's still plenty of time. Maybe something artsy like photography or painting. Or perhaps something useful like cooking or sewing. Or maybe just something completely outlandish and impractical like unicycle juggling or tight-rope walking. Thoughts? Suggestions? Help a sista out.

AIIaFDtFTW #5: Enjoy life.
Alright alright, I know this one is a cop out, but I really like lists of 5 and ran out of legitimate ideas. However, I do actually want to take time to enjoy life more this year. All to often I get wrapped up in the small things and don't see the bigger picture. I've been blessed with a wonderful family, absolutely amazing friends and the best boyfriend a girl could ask for. I'm a lucky girl and I don't want to take that for granted. So get ready Life, because this year I'm going to enjoy the shit of out you.

International Relations

Due to some unusual staffing circumstances [the details of which are far to boring to discuss], I've spent the last few weeks working with a staff from Canada. Up until until his arrival in the States a couple weeks ago, the extent of my knowledge about the Great White North has come almost exclusively from Robin Scherbatsky [and if you don't know who that is, shame on you and consider us no longer friends]. Seeing this as a learning opportunity, I've decided to make the most of my time with my new Canadian friend by asking him entirely too many ridiculous questions about his homeland. He has graciously answered my never-ending string of inquiries and now I bestow some of my new-found knowledge of our neighbors to the North upon you.

1. Contrary to populer belief, Canadians are not afraid of the dark.
2. There are far more Asians in Canada than one would assume. To my dismay, they do not refer to them as "Canasians".
3. Canada plays the same pop songs on the radio we do here, and unfortunately that includes Ke-dollar sign-ha. [They apparently are no more intelligent than the millions of idiots down here buying the crap that no talent ass-clown puts out].
4. Canadians can drive cars, even in the U.S.
5. For some unknown reason, Canadians pronounce the word "pasta" as pas-ta rather than pah-sta. I find this stranger than the words "eh" and "aboot" [which they do in fact say as regularly as I say "y'all"].

And nowwww you knowwwww that!

Anti-Halloween

For the first year in a very long time, I did not dress up for Halloween. I didn't want to spend the money on overpriced drinks in a crowded bar amongst a see of scantily clad [for lack of a better word] whores that roam the streets on Halloween weekend. I realize that that sentence makes me sound like a cranky old lady, but I'm ok with that. Instead, I celebrated Halloween with a sort of "anti-Halloween" night. I spent this weekend in, watching movies, playing games and hanging out with friends and it was absolutely wonderful. And yeah, there may have been some alcohol involved in those activities too. I'm not that old yet!