New Year's Non-Post

We have had a great post-holiday week, but we have really been on the run. Not counting sleeping hours, I am pretty sure that I have logged at least twice as many hours in the car as I have in my own home this week. I have actually had several great ideas for blog posts, but I haven't been home long enough to write them out! Now I'm all backed up and about to leave town, and by the time I get around to thinking through these holiday insights, they will be old news. So here you go: all
my thoughts.

1. I am a huge fan of New Year's resolutions. I love the occasion for self-evaluation, and to make promises to myself that I will do better. Obviously, some resolutions stick better than others, but as long as I keep a couple each year, I'm heading in the right direction.

2. One of the things that I admired the most about the musicians at the TSO concert was their complete lack of inhibition. At one point, there was a girl singer on a mini-stage way back in the audience, and she was dancing all by herself, and not even doing a very good job. But she kept at it, even though she was in the spotlight and a thousand eyes were on her. I have always wanted to be a little less self-conscious, and I had my first taste on Christmas Eve. My brother-in-law Tom got a karaoke machine for Christmas, and we had a girls versus boys karaoke competition. I took my turn every round, despite my lack of confidence in my singing, regaling the family with such classics as "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?," "Smells Like Teen Spirit," and "Crocodile Rock." It was very fun, and the overall success of the game further proved my theory that every human being has a secret desire to be a rock star.

3. I got a temporary promotion at my parking job on Saturday. I got to drive the courtesy golf cart around the parking lot, offering rides to the unfortunate people who got stuck way out in the back lots. It was very fun, and I was much appreciated.

4. When I found out that my charming brother drew my name for my family's sibling gift exchange, I decided not to offer any gift-buying suggestions. Alan has great taste, and knows how to treat a girl, and I wanted to see what he'd come up with. Well, he came through with a gift certificate for a pedicure at a highly-recommended shop in T****e. Mom and I went together, and enjoyed the pampering. But, as usual, our pedicurists chattered away almost the whole time in what I think was Chinese. The last time this happened, Mom asked right out if they are actually talking about customers the whole time, and they basically said yes. "Wouldn't you?" one pointed out. We sat quietly the whole time, trying not to provide the ladies with any fodder for their discussion. Oh wait, I guess this defeats my lose-the-self-consciousness resolution.

5. We've finally joined the rest of the world in iMadness. Stephen bought an iPod with his Christmas money, and I am having lots of fun with it.

6. I got the new Josh Groban CD, and it is excellent. Maybe my favorite so far, even though there are not as many foreign-language songs. Speaking of Josh Groban, I had gotten my heart all set on going to hear him when he came to D****s in March. But when I looked more closely, I learned that the concert is on a Monday night, the week after spring break. Bummer! I'm thinking about going anyway.

7. I'm leaving at 3:45 on Tuesday morning for Florida with my mom, sister, and a bunch of cheerleaders and their moms. I'm looking forward to some fun and relaxing time to read and take naps, and enjoy some quality time with Mom and Leslie. Unless there's unusually good computer access, I won't blog until I come back, and then I will write panicky blogs about how I should have done more school work over the break so that I would be prepared to go back to work! Resolution: stop procrastinating!!

See you all in 2007...