New Years Resolutions and Thank-you's.

Well I'm a little late out of the gate, but as long as I'm still accidentally writing "2009" on checks I figure the new year hasn't really kicked in, anyway.  So I'm going to try this resolutions business!

My resolutions are kind of a mix of New Years and Thanksgiving.  Some are serious and some are silly.  Do you have resolutions and/or thank-you's?  If so, you can toss them in too and we will be awesome together.

Here we go:

1. I am incredibly thankful for my husband.  This is the man who teaches little kids how to play Elvis and Hilary Duff songs, who recently made a Facebook page for our cat, Claudia, who melts the hearts of mothers and babies and makes me feel like the sexiest woman alive.  We were playing charades the other night with friends, and his HILARIOUS acting skills made me love him even more.  He even got his team to guess "ransom money!" 

2. I resolve to take more pictures.

These are two more I took in the bathroom at Bennu Coffee on Saturday, and also, R. gave me a Holga camera that I have been playing with.  I always thought I was a pretty terrible photographer and that was just that, but lately some friends have been showing me some tricks and I am a little more confident!  So, in 2010 I will keep having fun with photos.

3. I am thankful for human pyramids and the friends who like to make them with me.

4. I resolve to give more presents to people.

5. I am thankful for this blog.  When I started it two years ago I didn't know what I wanted to talk about, just this city in general because I was so excited to be living here again.  I didn't know it would help me learn how to plan a party, and I also didn't know that it would have readers besides R. and my parents.  If you are reading this I am extremely thrilled that you are here, and I hope you stick around.

While we're on that note, a special shout-out thank you is owed to Austin Eavesdropper's newest contributor, Gary.

Gary is the one who appears a total of three times in this single picture from New Years Eve; it represents how Gary is all-knowing and omniscient when it comes to cool stuff to do in Austin!

6. I resolve to learn the Thriller dance all the way through and perform it for Thrill the World.  Right now I know about 60% but for Michael (RIP) I'll learn the whole damn thing.

7. I am thankful for the fact that this year, I got my very first paid writing gigs for national places. That's been a personal dream for a long time and I still can't believe it happened.  Locally, I write the Informed Drinker column on Austinist and will keep doing it as long as they let me because I love that thing.  Reviewing cocktails, and interviewing bartenders!  What could be better.

8. I resolve to have more balance, less must-do-everything.  I, and I'm sure many of you, tend to fill up every free moment at night with go-go-go activity because, let's face it, if Austin were a pusher it's drug would be nightlife.  It's addictive and wonderful, but sometimes, you need to recharge and just pet your cat.  You know?   

9. I am thankful for my parents.  A Dad who dresses up as Carmen Miranda, a mom who is directly responsible for this blog?  (Seriously, I'm typing this on the laptop she gave me!) I won the parent lottery and, although I think they know they're my heroes, it doesn't hurt to remind them.  I love you guys.

10. I resolve to stop pulling my hair out at the base of my neck.  I'm sorry, I know that's slightly WTF?, but it's an anxiety thing and a bizarre habit. Since a lot of my friends quit smoking this year I figure this is my version of it.  I stopped for a while and my back hairs got long enough to pull it all up into a bun again, which is a small victory but seriously felt so great.  Last year I even got a tattoo on the back of my neck to motivate me and it's kind of working out.  I either need a new nervous tic or,  to simply learn how not to be nervous!

11. I am thankful to own this vacuum cleaner. When my parents gave it to R. and me, we pretty much FREAKED OUT as these pictures can attest.

12. I resolve to grow something and eat it this year.  Like an herb, or, a tomato.

13. I am thankful for dance parties and the people in my life who take the "dance like nobody's watching" expression to an entirely new level.

14. I always resolve to be more careful with my money.  This one's kind of boring but, do I really need a White Chocolate latte at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf?  No, I don't.  Instead I want to save that money and fly myself to Hawaii to visit my friend Beka, El Paso to see my friend Kathryn, Nashville to visit my friend Jill, or California to see a whole gang of folks. BOO-YA White Chocolate latte.

15. I am thankful for this city.  I often feel like Austin is a gift I just don't deserve.  Thank you, city, for letting me live here.  Thank you for being so good to me, and thank you for somehow managing to be both a hip, happening metroplex and a small town where everybody knows everbody.  I loved you this year, and I'll love you again in 2010.