2011 in the Rearview Mirror

by Maria Lagalante Schulz

Last year at this time, I tried to think about what I wanted to accomplish in 2011. I make resolutions every year, and I usually break them by the second week of January. To avoid this, I set up a list of resolutions that I was pretty sure even I would be able to keep. Let’s see how I did.

1) I will not lose weight.

The good news is I did lose a couple of pounds. The better news is I didn’t gain any. Win/Win. I’ve been eating more fruits and vegetables, when all I really want is a Snickers bar. I’d say that’s progress.

2) I will not climb Mount Everest. I did keep this one. I don’t like heights or the cold. I tried climbing the stairs at work a few times, but that got old fast. The best was when I had to climb those 5 flights in the pitch-black darkness following Hurricane Irene. I realized that deadly conditions and heights were not a good combination for me.

3) I will not buy the world a Coke and keep it company. Yes, I was able to give up Coke for a few months. Then I went back to it. I’ve cut way back on my Coca-Cola habit, but as far as addictions go, this one is hard for me. I’m drinking a lot more water and iced tea these days, but it’s just not the same.

4) I will find a fitness program that I like and stick with it. I rode my bike, swam all summer, walked farther and faster with my dog, and did kettle bells and exercise videos. I even joined a bowling league. There is nothing quite like bowling against senior citizens to make you feel young and healthy. Now if only I could bowl better than them.

 

5) I will read more books and watch less TV. Since there is never anything on television, this wasn’t too hard. My last blog post was about my favorite books from the year, and I mentioned that I joined a book club. That keeps me honest and makes me read something I wouldn’t necessarily choose myself.

6) I will write every day, or maybe every three days.  Although I feel like I never write enough, I did write more posts this year than last year. Plus, I actually made a lot of progress on my book. I wanted to get it published by the end of the year, but it didn’t happen. But to quote Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind, “as God is my witness, I will never go hungry again…or unpublished.” Okay, so I made that last part up, but you get the idea. Look for my book in the Spring of 2012.

7) I will not start smoking. This one was easy. I am blessed (or cursed, depends on how you look at it) with a borderline bionic sense of smell. Cigarettes are one of those things that make me gag. I’m like Tony Randall (Felix Unger in The Odd Couple) in that way.

8) I will take a class and learn something new. This was the year I tried a lot of new things. I took my soup class and blogged about it in “Soup’s On.” I also took an introductory Spanish class. The teacher liked me at first because I have a fantastic accent (my Mom and Grandmother would be proud). Unfortunately, it became apparent pretty quickly that an accent was all that I had. I liked going to the class every week but it wasn’t the same as when I was in high school. It’s just not as much fun without my mother around to do all of my homework.

9) I will enjoy more time with friends.  Being an adult and having to take care of my family, house and work really puts a crimp on my ability to see friends all the time. This was the year that my old friend Lisa and I made time to see one another. We saw Billy Elliot on Broadway, and then had dinner at Carmine’s. It was wonderful! I also got to see more movies with my husband this year, including True Grit and My Week with Marilyn. Good times!

10) I will write more blog posts about my sister-in-law, Kathie. I promised to write about my sister-in-law, Kathie, but I never devoted an entire blog post to her. However, she did make it into the book, so at least I know one person will be buying it.

11) I will not bring a chimpanzee into my home as my surrogate son/pet.

While I would certainly love a son, I always figured he would be human. Besides, it has taken me five years to figure out how to get my dog off the couch. She’s a happy go lucky lab, and even she grumbles a little. I hear a chimpanzee can get crazy and rip your face off when provoked, especially when he’s been trolling on the Internet all day and drinking red wine. So this one was easy to keep!

This is why you should not get a pet with opposable thumbs

12) I will eat more chocolate. I have found many new ways to work chocolate into my day. One piece of dark chocolate goes a long way, and I hear it’s good for me. Plus chocolate milk in the morning and hot chocolate at night makes any day better!

I’ve heard a lot of people say that 2011 was not a very good year. I don’t agree; it wasn’t the greatest year of my life, but it was still happy. My family and friends are well and life is good.

I spent most of today whistling “That Old Black Magic” because New Year’s Eve was the time that my mother and father would throw a big party and then get up and sing that song together. All of my relatives were around us: my brothers, grandmother, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends. Everybody was there and they were all laughing.

Tonight, while my little family and I celebrate a low-key New Year’s Eve, I will think of my mother and father…and I’ll be smiling.

Mom and Dad performing That Old Black Magic

Happy New Year! See you all next year.

Recipe

Make any day better with this Hot Chocolate to recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-hot-cocoa/detail.aspx

So, how did your New Year’s resolutions go this year? Do you have a funny story to share about resolutions gone wrong? Share your thoughts and let us all in on the fun.