The year is over. Can you believe it? After twelve months, here is where I stand on my resolutions:
Go ice skating – ACCOMPLISHED – Went ice skating at Chilled Ponds, March 8. Started ice skating lessons, March 28.
Get my wisdom teeth out – FAILED
Buy a house – ACCOMPLISHED – Bought a condo with Kristina, August 28.
Go horseback riding – FAILED
Hang out with my cousin Joelle – ACCOMPLISHED – Hung out with Joelle, December 24.
Have a party – ACCOMPLISHED – Had a Pampered Chef/Housewarming/Halloween Party, October 29.
Start my own business – ALMOST – Allison and I unofficially started our business, January 15. Brainstormed about a new business idea with Jennifer Yoder, June 30. Opened a CafePress.com store, October 30.
Play poker in Vegas – FAILED
Go to Busch Gardens – FAILED
Get a picture in front of the VT bush – FAILED
Go for a boat ride – ACCOMPLISHED – Had dinner on the American Rover, June 13.
Learn to drive a stick – ACCOMPLISHED – Chris taught me to drive a stick, December 31.
Visit Nauticus – ACCOMPLISHED – Went to Nauticus with Tim, February 19. Went to Nauticus with Kristy and Joe, August 26.
Be nicer to Allison’s dog – ACCOMPLISHED – I was pretty nice to her…after she moved out.
Read a bunch of Kurt Vonnegut books – FAILED
Drink more water – ACCOMPLISHED
Bring back Dr. Martens – ALMOST – I wore mine a few times, but I don’t know if that can be considered “bringing them back.”
Buy a new car – FAILED
Begin writing a book FAILED
Spend a day in New York City – FAILED
See a play – ACCOMPLISHED – Saw Rent at Chrysler Hall with Mike, Allison and Brandon, February 17.
Sing in public (not karaoke) – ACCOMPLISHED – Sang “Happy Birthday” in public bowling alley (not karaoke), March 8.
Take a vacation – ACCOMPLISHED – Went to Seattle, August 30-September 4.
Acquire health benefits – ACCOMPLISHED – Acquired health benefits, March 1. Acquired health benefits again, October 1.
Learn a new skill – ACCOMPLISHED – Started belly-dancing class, April 27.
Join a gym – FAILED
Finish reading the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels – ACCOMPLISHED – Read all the Anita Blake novels up to Danse Macabre, September 4.
See Reel Big Fish, Aerosmith and Green Day in concert – ALMOST – Saw Reel Big Fish with MxPx at the Norva, July 17. Saw Aerosmith with Motley Crue at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater, October 21. Green Day wasn’t playing anywhere.
Board an aircraft carrier – ACCOMPLISHED – Mark took me to visit the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), December 31.
Eat more pineapples – ACCOMPLISHED
Join some sort of club or organization – FAILED
Go roller-blading – ACCOMPLISHED – Went roller-blading, March 12.
Grow my hair long again – ACCOMPLISHED – Put my hair up with a pencil (official sign of it being long), October 9.
Write a short story – ACCOMPLISHED – I did write a short story one time on a plane. I just don’t remember what day it was.
Make 10 new friends – ACCOMPLISHED – Tim Thurston, Alex Rodriguez, Chris Jordan, Brooke Simpson, Rolla Rabi, Amy Morris, Corinne Monacci, Tyra Sanchez, Candice Hayden, Kerry Nigito
Continue writing in my LJ for another whole year – ACCOMPLISHED
Volunteer for something – FAILED
Frame a picture I take and give it to someone as a gift – ACCOMPLISHED – Framed my Belmar Marina photo and gave it to my dad, December 25.
Make someone a CD – ACCOMPLISHED – Made Mike a book of eight CDs. Finally gave them to him, April 18.
Do 58 sit-ups in two minutes – ALMOST – Did about 45, December 30.
Go running at Mount Trashmore – ACCOMPLISHED – Went running at Mount Trashmore, March 4.
Run in a race – FAILED
Draw a picture – ACCOMPLISHED – Drew a picture in pencil from one of my favorite photographs, March 1. Gave it away as a birthday gift, March 8.
Be more motivated – ACCOMPLISHED
Do 20 push-ups in two minutes – FAILED
Visit Charleston, SC – FAILED
Play my oboe – FAILED
Take a class – ACCOMPLISHED – Modern Rhetoric (ENGL 669) at ODU, January 11.
See the Grand Canyon – FAILED
Save up some more money – ACCOMPLISHED – Enrolled in the company 401(k) plan, October 25. Despite ending the year with less than $5 in my savings account, since October 25th, I have saved approximately $169.18 in my Employee Stock Ownership Fund (in which I will be 25 percent vested on January 24) and $285.92 in my 401(k) plan – a grand total of $455.10. Not too shabby – keep in mind I bought a house…
Bake someone a birthday cake – ACCOMPLISHED – Baked Mike’s birthday cake, March 7-8.
See Lifespeed at Bar A – ACCOMPLISHED – Saw Lifespeed at Bar A, November 26.
Visit my long lost stand partner in Ann Arbor – FAILED
Make a new resolution every month: – ACCOMPLISHED
January: Go running at least 10 times this month – Went running on January 13, January 21, January 28, January 29, January 30 and January 31. Damn. That’s only six times.
February: Generate income from a source other than TranSystems Corporation – Earned $12 for articles published on AssociatedContent.com, February 3 and 19.
March: Go to Saddle Ridge and McFadden’s – Went to Saddle Ridge (participated in the Thursday night Booty Shakin’ Contest) and peeked inside McFadden’s (it was pretty empty in there) for Laurie’s birthday, March 23.
April: Go to New Jersey – Failed. I did not make it to New Jersey this month. But, I give myself permission to earn credit for this one when I finally do make it up there. (Went to New Jersey, May 26-29.)
May: Eat out less than 15 times this month (unless someone else pays for it) – that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks! – Accomplished. I ate out 14 times this month (except for times other people paid for it) and spent a total of $103.04 eating out. That’s still a lot of money.
June: Clean the Malibu and replace the disgusting old stickers on the back window – Cleaned the Malibu (inside and out) and scraped off the disgusting old stickers on the back window (and on the gas tank cover), June 17. I haven’t replaced them yet, but I’m not sure I want to – the car looks better without them. I did, however, re-stick Robb the Hula Man to the dashboard.
July: Put air in bike tires, see fireworks, fix button on Abercrombie skirt – Air in bike tires, July 4. (Thanks, Chris.) Saw fireworks at the Oceanfront, July 4. Abercrombie skirt does not currently fit, therefore this resolution has been deferred to August.
August: No fast food! – Accomplished, I didn’t eat any fast food this month. Sewed button on Abercrombie skirt, August 8. (Abercrombie skirt still does not fit. So much for giving up fast food.)
September: Move – Moved the last of my stuff out of the apartment, October 1.
October: Have a housewarming party – Had a Pampered Chef/Housewarming/Halloween Party, October 29.
November: Get my surfboard back from Rich – Failed. Rich is nowhere to be found.
December: Install Quicken on my computer – Installed Quicken on my computer, December 3.
Out of 54 resolutions (not including the monthly ones), that’s 32 ACCOMPLISHED, 4 ALMOST, and 18 FAILED – not too shabby.
Now it’s time to party. Stay tuned for the new list tomorrow!
Happy New Year!