Thinking Ahead-New Year Style

So there's been more than one moment this week where I've said to myself, "Self, this would be a good resolution to do EVERY DAY!"  They're pretty basic, and boring, but here are some I've thought of:

1. STOP READING COMMENTS FOR FUCK'S SAKE!  Seriously, nothing can make me more miserable than reading comments on news stories, whether on Facebook or tv or newspaper sites.  I am even sick of reading comments on some people's Facebook posts.  It's the same old crap all the fucking time.
And speaking of Facebook...

2. FACEBOOK NEEDS TO BE A "SOMETIMES" FOOD.  I spend WAY too much of my life on Facebook.  Mostly it's wasting up to an hour at a time looking at bullshit I really don't care about, that usually makes me sad or angry.  I like the funny stuff, but there just isn't enough of that.  Mostly drama, and I just don't have time for drama.  At least I shouldn't.  It seems I always do.

3. MORE KID ONE-ON-ONE TIME.  (Sensing time as a theme?)  My kids LOVE "mom and me" time, even at their ages.  Even if it's just running to the grocery store or grabbing a quick lunch.  So why not make them feel special whenever I can?  It's an easy thing to do.

4. MORE TIME FOR SCHOOL (Time....)  I know I didn't spend enough time on my one class.  I got off to a rotten start for the semester and just never seemed motivated to get my shit together.  This semester, it's checking in at least once a day, whether I want to or not.  I'm not going to do the "I'll get all my stuff done before the day it's due" because why lie?  I won't.  I do better when I have a deadline (and that's actually not a lie).

5. LIMITING TIME SPENT AROUND TOXIC PEOPLE. Ok, so there are always some "toxic" people we can't seem to get rid of.  Mostly those are called "family".  I've done a pretty fair job this past year of stepping away, but holy hell, nothing can test your toxicity meter like Christmas.  Here is an example of why I step away:

A Mother-In-Law Christmas Story

Once Upon a Time, my Mother-In-Law was broke and asked us for money.  But she still got us something for Christmas.  Why she didn't just not get us anything was beyond me, until I saw what she got us.

She's broke, but she got us Rachael Ray pots and pans.  Now, I don't need pots and pans, but what a lovely gift.  Expensive. Only then she says, "Look inside the box.  They aren't all there".

No, friends and neighbors, SHE needed new pots and pans, so to justify it, she left us the little frying pan and one pot and kept the rest.  Now, she could have taken them out of the box and just put a bow on them and we'd never know there was a whole set.  Yet, she chose not to do this.  And THEN had the audacity to bitch at Brian for using her new pan (Whose new pan is this?) when we came over to cook HER breakfast for Christmas.  You know, and brought ALL. THE. FOOD.

And Lynnette, by some act of Nature or the Divine or just her own willpower (which is a minor miracle) did not lose her shit on her MIL.

OK, so anyway, on that note, I hope you understand the limiting toxic people thing, and in some ways, the levels.  At least, seeing the next point, maybe distance makes the heart stop being so pissed off all the time?....

6. DE-CLUTTER.  Yes, it's the age-old "Of course I will organize and de-clutter my life" resolution everyone makes with the "I'm going to lose weight" resolution.  But I REALLY don't have a choice this year.  Brian got a new job that will require relocation, and even though someone will be moving us this time (for the first time.  Ever. Because someone is paying for it for the first time. Ever.) we have so much SHIT.  It's not just little shit, like books and toys and yarn, of which there is a half ton (and no, I am not a complete idiot and no, I will not be parting with any of the yarn.  I am just saying.  Not gonna happen.  But it will be packed, labeled and organized.) it's also big shit like excess furniture.  When we got this house there was lots of excess furniture, and we had some, then we acquired more shit thinking we weren't leaving here and, well, I have 5 bedrooms, a basement and a garage (complete with attic) full of crap.  I would like to halve it, but I would be happy to lose at least 30% of it.

7. EAT OUT LESS. We spend an INSANE amount of money going out to eat, whether it's me grabbing lunch on the way home from work to "It's 6pm.  What are we having for dinner?  Oh you're going to run and get something?  OK"  A little planning can not only limit my runs to the grocery store, but will save us the unhealthy expensive meals.

There will be more.  These are just the ones that I have been thinking about the past week.  I won't be exercising unless I feel like it. I will eat lots of ice cream and gluten.  I will still play video games, because it's something I enjoy and why the fuck not?  I'm going to knit hopefully lots.  I have ideas for creating cool things that I hope I'll get to do in the New Year.  Because it makes me happy.  And honestly, I would like 2015 to end as a year of happy, since the beginning of it might be mass chaos.