Greetings from my couch, friends! Y’all I’ve been on “vacation” for 6 days now, and I’m sort of concerned that my head might explode tomorrow morning when my alarm goes off at 6:30am. I should maybe sleep with a shower cap on.

With these few days off I’ve had some time to think about the new year coming up and where I see things going. I’m not one to make resolutions, partially because I like to pretend I’m too cool to participate in popular activities, but mostly because I try to set realistic goals for myself throughout the year instead. Would I like to lose a few inches around my waist and have a perfect bounce-a-quarter-off-it butt in 2012? Well sure I would. But I also had the same goal in 2011 and 2010 (except maybe slightly more drastic back then) and I will probably have that same goal well into 2030 when we can fly. Oh, I’m sorry, do you not think technology in 18 years will allow us to fly? Ok…

So instead of lofty goals of which I am sure to let myself down, I’m making one solid goal of being  more positive and being more of an “action” person going forward.  (Wait…was that 2 goals?  Whatever.)  Not starting in 4 days, but starting now.  I talk a lot about things I’d like to do, ways I’d like to “be” and I spend more time thinking and talking about it than just doing it.  For example, I’ve been complaining about wasting money on things I just don’t need.  So yesterday, I made some cut backs on things like Netflix (still keeping the live streaming, I’m not a total masochist) and my beloved Sirius radio.  Sure I’ll miss the bright red envelope in the mail box, like a shiny beacon of entertainment midst a jumbled mess of junk mail and bills. And my morning commute will never be the same without the hi jinks of the Howard Stern staff to make me giggle (or cringe).  But both of these things aren’t really being taken advantage of to justify the cost (I maybe get to hear 30 minutes of the Stern show everyday)  I’ve also been really good about not going crazy and being careless with my grocery shopping, and I’ve cut way back on my trips to T.J. Maxx and online purchases.  Except for the Anthro Black Friday sale and these shoes which Brandon hates, but player please, let’s leave the fashion statements up to me, shall we?

As far as other areas of my life, I’m going to keep pursuing more freelance work because while clearly the extra loot is nice, let’s face it, I love writing, it’s my passion.  I also plan to write a book some day (what?! A blogger who wants to write a book?) and I’m going to stop daydreaming and start writing things down and taking some steps towards making that actually happen.  As far as this little blog here, I would say expect more of the same, but who knows.  I didn’t really know what this thing was going to look like when I started it almost a year ago, and in that time it turned from a fun hobby to something that has become a huge part of me and my daily life.  Oh man, I’m getting sappy here… but seriously.  You guys  are just the best.  The friends I’ve made in the short time I’ve been doing this have made every second of staring at a blank screen and wondering what the sh*t I’m even doing, every embarrassing restaurant photo and every single failed recipe worth it, times a million.

So  basically my motto for 2012: Don’t talk about it, be about it.

Now if you’ll excuse me I need to pick up a few things at T.J. Maxx.  What, it was just Christmas…

Any goals for 2012 you’d like to share?