I Resolve to Read the Calendar Better

I'm staying at my parents' house for a couple of weeks. They are off having sun and warmth in Mexico, but Jimmy's mom who is 90 and lives with them had a difficult time recovering from pneumonia recently, so I'm here to call 911 if I need to, to try to force her to accept my help with her breakfast and lunch, and to cook dinner for her and Ann (the other elderly housemate). I'm not used to having such regular meals, and if this weren't the lap of luxury, I'd be feeling all crowded and introverted. Since it's an enormous house, I'm on the third floor alone right now, typing away, while Ann naps and Dorothy knits in the sun room. We each have our own floor.

This morning, I got up early (to train myself for the inevitability of going back to school on Monday), walked the dog in the freezing, freezing cold, and headed off to Uptown to cross off my first New Year's resolution. I was going to my first belly dancing lesson in the dance studio above Birch's Pharmacy. Classes begin at the beginning of January and they are offered almost every day of the week, but I decided that Saturday was best for me. Otherwise it becomes a day of too much thinking, moping, and procrastinating.

Well, I got there only to discover that classes actually begin on Monday, so Saturday's first class isn't until next week. This was all very clearly spelled out on their website, which I checked three times before I headed off to a strange land, but despite my enormous brain, I have all kinds of trouble reading calendars, and so I misread the date.

Anyway, I made the best of it. An outing is never bad when you are younger than your housemates by over 50 years. I bought myself some Yak Tracks so I can walk Buddy through ice and snow. Then I got home, and crossed off another resolution by buying my train ticket to Portland.

Now, I'm at least 90 percent certain that my Portland ticket really does involve travel during the actual dates of my Spring Break, but it was all on a calendar so I can never be 100 percent certain until the date actually comes around.

Love,
Al

Lists

In case you didn't receive this in the mail, here is my resolution list for 2010. Hope you're enjoying the day. Here in MN it's sunny and even colder than the thermometer says.

Dear Friends and Family,

I’ve never written the holiday letter or Christmas card before because I don’t have any cute kids to share with you. Buddy doesn’t like having his picture taken, and although I am pretty vain, I draw the line at sending everyone I know of photo of myself for Christmas. However, I am the number one fan of your holiday cards and photos, and so, to encourage you not to drop me from your list, here is my first annual New Years Resolution letter.

Whereas, I have room to improve and grow in 2010, be it resolved that this year I vow to do the following.

1. Smile more, especially in November and February.
2. Say goodbye to everyone when I leave a party
3. Go to graduate school (finally) starting in March
4. Go to the gym twelve times a month, until such time as it is warm enough to allow my membership to lapse
5. Be less cheap
6. Take the train to Portland, OR for Spring Break
7. Go to my 15-year reunion, and be proud of what I’ve done in the last 15-years, even though I’ve never yet been ambassador to the U.N. Nor have I cured cancer. At least I didn’t join a cult.
8. Run another half marathon and beat my time from last year
9. Have more dinner parties
10. Take myself out to dinner more
11. Finish painting the basement
12. Go to the Dominican Republic in the summer
    
13. Join a running club and go more than twice before I quit
14. Visit the Black Hills
15. Learn to dance or at least take lessons.
16. Go to a weekly exercise class at least four weeks in a row
17. Say yes more
18. Say no more
19. Stop procrastinating
20. Ask for help when I need it
21. Write more
22. Read more books
23. Join a book club that reads books
24. Design knitting patterns and write them down

Furthermore, the following resolutions will happen in 2010, although they will most likely not result in much growth or improvement.

1. Watch the rest of West Wing, even though the walk-and-talk is starting to annoy me
2. Forget to wash the dishes sometimes before I go to bed
3. Hope that Buddy can survive the night without a third walk
4. Laugh with my nephews and nieces and my pseudo nieces and nephews
5. Eat many dinners at Jimmy and Judy’s house
6. Knit in front of the TV
7. Play Wii at Perley and Jill’s
8. Watch So You Think You Can Dance with Sarah
9. Eat at least one Jucy Lucy
10. Eat too many croissants at A Baker’s Wife

Finally, the following resolutions will continue from last year (and the year before).

1. Volunteer every other week at the library
2. Donate blood sporadically
3. Give everything I can to teaching, because it’s a job I love and do well
4. Pay my mortgage close to on time
5. Care deeply for my friends and family and the children of my friends and family.

I am grateful to have you in my life. Have a happy new year. Don’t forget to send any hot single guys you meet my way for a once over.

Love and kisses from Alex and Buddy