I seldom make “New Years Resolutions” — I’ve just never thought much about it.

This year, I am making some.

1. Love my wife even more: seems pretty obvious, and some would even say “of course you should love your wife — what, you don’t love her now?” But as those in successful relationships know, Life isn’t a romance novel. And romance novels and chick-flicks warp one’s sense of reality. It is the rare exception to the rule when two people just “click” without a molecule’s worth of work. If your relationship is like that, God bless you. Life has instructed me, however, with many examples and lessons indicating: it isn’t necessarily so. And in that vein, I’ve discovered that a relationship is truly about work. It is about concentration and the purposeful application of kindness, consideration, sacrifice and teamwork mixed with a healthy helping of love. Sometimes I forget about the teamwork part or sometimes I think it’s more about me. That’s the precise time that I need to focus more on my lovely wife. I plan to do exactly that in 2009 and become a better husband. I’ve discovered: it takes work. And I plan to apply myself.

2. Get back to workouts: I lost 85 pounds in 2004/2005, and gained a bunch of it back in 2006 when I went to a Masters program in San Diego. Since I stayed in Old Town San Diego there wasn’t much to eat but Mexican food. Carbs, carbs, carbs. I also got out of the habit of running and exercising. For 2009, I want to get back into the habit of exercising and watching what I eat.

3. Continue with the Chiropractor: one of the best things I did late in 2008 was enlist the services of a chiropractor. An excellent doctor who does things globally, so to speak, I’ve been able to lessen my back pain and, on the other hand, handle various forms of physical labor with a fraction of the pain I encountered before.

4. Streamline my life: I started this project in 2008 and plan to completely finish in 2009. I cleaned out my outdoor shed, got rid of unwanted and unneeded items, started categorizing all my photographs, books, CDs, albums. I have, literally, thousands of music CDs and a like number of books I’ve collected over the years. I’m getting rid of much of these things, organizing each room of the house. I still have work left. When one project is done I move to the next. And with each concluded project I feel a weight lift from my shoulders.

5. Make more financial and retirement planning: self-explanatory. I need to focus more closely on my finances and watch spending. Time to conserve.

2008 In Summary:

Frankly, I’m glad to see 2008 exit. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” And unfortunately I only see much of the same for 2009. I’ve finally come to realize that the larger aspects of the world I simply cannot much influence: where the world is heading, geopolitics, my country, her economic plight. Certainly there are tasks I can accomplish in a smaller fashion. But I must learn to place things more into perspective.

Therefore I plan to concentrate on the aspects that I personally can influence: my relationship, my surroundings, my attitude, my mind, my immediate family.

And I cannot leave you, my readers, out of this equation. I began this blog in 2004, the result of a failed relationship and in accordance with seeking a time-occupier. What began as a spasmodic and periodic series of disjointed posts has turned not only into a hobby but a venting and a modulation as well. I’ve always written for myself, essentially, and that there are those such as yourselves who actually take the time to read my mental mush and then opine about those words — well, I consider myself deeply and truly blessed. I’ve made acquaintances and I’ve made actual friends, even met some of my fellow bloggers. So I thank you, my dearest readers, for taking time out of your busy days to read and then comment on my foamings. You have my most humble and appreciated thanks.

Those are my plans for the new year.

Do you have any for 2009?

BZ

P.S.
2008 Trivia Questions For You:

1. When the year began there were five major investment banks on Wall Street. Name the two that have survivied as independent companies.

2. Within $5, what was the highest per-barrel price for oil this year? And what was the lowest?

3. After peaking at a national average of $4.11 per gallon in July, gas prices fell to $1.66 by mid-December. In what year was gas last priced that low?

4. Which country’s beer conglomerate swallowed iconic American brewer Anheuser-Busch?

5. The only work of adult fiction to sell 1 million copies in the US in 2008 was a 576-page debut novel about a mute 14-year-old boy and a pack of dogs. Name the book and author.

6. Name three celebrities who died in 2008.