(Almost) Last Day of the Year

There's a golf ball in my throat.

Oh wait, that's actually just my throat.

Scratchy, scratchy. Ugggh!

OK, so I'm a little down and out health-wise but hopefully by the time this post is done, the paracetamol will have kicked in and bliss will be forthcoming. (Funny, we don't have "paracetamol" back home. It's some exotic concoction that the FDA hasn't yet approved for sale, I guess. Or maybe it's just Excedrin PM with another name. Not sure, but I LIKE it.)

So time to wax poetical about the year gone past? About the dramatic twists and turns life has taken? About the great leaps forwards in matters of the heart, wallet or shoe collection?

Nahh...

I thought I'd keep it simple and talk about the joy of fuzzy socks.

Yep, that's right, fuzzy socks. I'm wearing them. Warm, woolly, fuzzy socks made by Totes with the little slip-resistant pads at the bottom...e.g., the closest adults can get to footie-pajamas without shopping in the husky boys section of Penny's. Paul got me some for Christmas...see other, forthcoming posts for who this "Paul" is...and I dig them. They like put the split in banana split, the party in party time, the friday in TGIF. You get my drift.

I like the fact that they keep my toes warm...always an issue in England, even in summertime. They also allow me to go all bed, bath and beyond with no change of footwear...another big plus. And because they've got snowflakes and a furry top on, they make me feel like I'm in a Swiss ski chalet, toasting myself in front of the fire after another great black diamond run.

Ahhhhh.

In other words, they make me feel comfy.

So maybe that is my philosophical waxing for the year.

Don't forget to take joy in the simple pleasures of life. Even if they border on the delusional--I can barely survive the bunny slopes but Swiss Alps there I was!

It's your life, your delusions. Make the most of both!

Happy 2012 everyone!

New Year, New Me

I'm not a huge fan of resolutions.

Well, at least not at the New Year.

I think the practice is rife with commercialism...wow, they sell a kit for that???...not to mention, the potential for utter disappointment and failure...was I supposed to enjoy eating cabbage and leeks 5 times a day?

Not exactly the best way to start off a new year.

Plus, in my mind, anything done while still giddy on drink from the night before can't be good.

Hmmm, well, I take that one back. Most things done while still giddy on drink from the night before can't be good.

So back to resolutions. I try to avoid them. Like the plague. I prefer to think of every day as a new day to try something different, to be someone different.

So instead of making rigid commitments on January 1 to say:
* lose a stone (for my American friends, that's 14 lbs....don't ask why), or
* knit scarves for my entire family by Easter, or
* finally organize my photo collection into themed albums, complete with ticket stubs, menu snippets, and witty narrative

...I prefer to reflect on the previous year and choose just a couple of things that I think will be good steering for the one ahead.

So in that spirit, I've decided I want to do three things this year...
1. meet more people
2. write more
3. become more interesting

Easy enough, right?

Even better, they all seem to share a seed of commonality. For example, if I meet new people, interesting things will happen...and no that's not a euphemism for something more sinister...which will certainly fuel my passion for writing. And if I write more, I'll obviously need material and sources, encouraging me to reach out to an ever-broader circle of friends and acquaintances to find new things to write about, becoming, yes, that's right, more interesting in the process. And if I become more interesting...let's say I attempt to stake a claim at being the world's leading expert on carillon bell societies in 19th century Britain...see post to come later this spring...well, then all bets are off. Let the resolution trifecta begin!

Which brings me to last night. I made a modest, yet exciting step towards that goal. I went to a Meetup. (http://www.meetup.com/)

Sure, sure, sure. Scoff if you will..."that's not very original, or hard, or even dangerous" and I'm sure it's old hat to most, but for the uninitiated, Meetups are activities going on around your town, generally for free, where like-minded people gather for social, professional, educational or other ends. Nice, huh?

So last night, I decided to pick a Meetup that feeds both a personal and professional passion...social media (http://www.socialmedialondon.co.uk/).

The guest speaker, Marko Saric, blogging pro from HowToMakeMyBlog.com and Social Media Manager at PartyPoker.com, talked about being intentional about making time to blog and other tips for being successful in social media.

The particular tip that made several folks in the room gasp, myself included, was the idea of gaining more time in the day by simply tossing out your telly. That's right, kids! Giving the boob tube the old heave-ho, Marko suggested, so you could try trading 3-4 hours a day of (unintentional) entertainment for more focused, productive time doing the things you love.

Now how's that for a radical New Year's resolution!
..............

Whew, that was close!

It's a good thing for my telly that I don't do resolutions.

But if I did, that one would certainly be INTERESTING.