New Years Resolutions 2010

Well my Christmas miracle came through. I flew home standby on Dec. 23rd and spent a lovely two weeks with family and friends in Chicago and Michigan, including family holidays, a nephew's hockey game, sledding with my sister, sister-in-law, and nephews, and NYE at my favorite Michigan microbrew with dear, dear friends. But now it's 2010 and I'm back in New Jersey and ready to get serious about the new year.

I don't usually make new years resolutions because I tend not to keep them. But last year, Kyle and I resolved not to eat at chain restaurants and we did very well. We started eating out less overall, which is simply because we live in the same place and cook together alot. But I think we also managed to go the whole year only eating at TGIFriday's once (with a buy one get one coupon), Applebees once (with friends for drinks), and Bonefish Grill twice (which is a chain, but neither of us had ever eaten there before). Not bad.

This year, I have a few little resolutions/goals. Like keep going to the gym regularly/more, write poems, put together a chapbook of poems and start submitting it for publication... but I have one, big, main resolution which I have a feeling is going to be tough but I'm determined to keep. No more shopping.

Yes, you read correctly. No more. However much I try to cut back or only buy things I really want, I still spend more than I should. When I'm having a rough day, a trip to Target or the mall always seems to cheer me up. This is not a healthy outlet. And over the last few months I've been tracking my spending and found that my "personal" category is a little higher than I think it should be. So in 2010 I resolve to only buy what I need - food, toiletries, etc. I can only buy clothes or shoes if my existing clothes and shoes become unwearable. And by this I mean I cannot buy a new pair of jeans unless ALL THREE pair I currently own have holes in them. I cannot buy new cute black shoes unless EVERY pair of black shoes I own falls apart. No purses. No jewelry. Nothing.

I think if I can make it through the year with this, I'll be much more mindful in the future of what I am buying and when. And the real purpose of this whole endeavor is to pay off credit card debt. I have three cards carrying a balance, and if I apply my usual frivolous spending money to paying one card, I am confident I can reasonably pay it off by the end of 2010, if not sooner. Which, I think, would motivate me to keep paying off my debt in large chunks and I could be credit card debt free by the time I turn 30. (Now my student loans are another story, but with lower interest rates I don't feel like those are hanging so heavy over my head).

So here we go. Wish me luck!...

fall looks good on me

i'm having a lovely day. today is one of those calm, wonderful days when i'm confident about myself, my life, and everything that goes with it. i say fall looks good on me because, well, it does! today i'm wearing brown tights with flat brown boots that have buckles and lace up to just below my knees. a short frayed jean skirt. a tan vneck light sweater that is low enough to show my white tshirt with the camp logo on it. my olive green pashmina scarf from london. and i walked around carrying my dark green barnes and noble tote bag with literature quotes on it. i think i look good in earthy tones, and i feel pretty good about this artsy, eclectic outfit i put together today. fall looks (and feels!) good on me.

i slept in a bit this morning (which was NOT in the plan) but i forced myself to get dressed and walk down the street to a cafe called "the perfect cup." i passed a few other cafes on the way, but i chose this one because it looked cute, and it's close to the el stop and in an area with more foot traffic. i wanted to be somewhere crowded with activity. after spending a few hours there, i love this cafe. it's cozy, dark bold painted walls, thick crown molding, art on the walls, bookshelves, a few cozy chairs and couches. the coffee and scones were great. the ONLY downside is, no free wireless. this was good for me today, because i managed to focus on my students' essays without the distraction of the computer. but i'm sure there will be days in the future when a laptop is necessary and i'll need to visit a cafe with a less fabulous vibe. ah well. or i could just pay for the internet there.

i think this was the most productive 3.5 hours i've had since the semester started. AND i was really pleased with my students' work! overall good sentence structure and well written essays. not all a's, by any means, and a few people missed a huge requirement of the assignment. but i'm hopeful that the rest of the essays for the class will be good as well. i should have all a writers by the end of the semester!

this weather is truly lovely. i wish the leaves would change colors already though! i'm a little afraid they will just die and fall off before giving me a decorative show. such is life in chicago. how are the leaves in michigan, friends? maybe i'm due for a visit...

i'm sitting outside on my porch now enjoying the cool air. i know i always say i love summer and tank tops, but i think it's a lie. i REALLY love scarves and sweaters and this time when it's nice to be outside but not cold yet. i'm not looking forward to cold. if i had a dog, now is when i'd be taking him for long walks everyday. i know it's not practical to think about. i'm much too busy to take proper care of a dog. plus my building doesn't allow them, and i just painted and have every intention of staying here at LEAST 2 years (if not a little longer). but i have two big goals. well, three i guess, because the last two depend on the first. #1 to get a full time teaching job and stop this 3 job nonsense (although i do love all 3 jobs right now). #2 to buy a new car before stanley kicks the bucket. which should be several more years. #3 to get a dog. and name him jack. :)