Back to Black

Hello sweet followers,

It's been much too long. It feels like eons, though it's been just over a month. At last the trojan horse is rid from my life and I can return to blogging! Since I am so important and have such important things to say.

In a previous life I had another blog in which I once blogged about American culture. In this blog I won't bother - because I have spent enough time there now to realize there really is a lot for me to learn before I make sweeping generalizations. It may shock you to know that my sweeping generalizations about Americans are generally positive, because (and here we go with the sweeping again) I think most Canadians don't feel generally positive towards their southern neighbours.

Lately this has been changing, due to the whole Barak Obama phenomenon. We northerners are just as obsessed with O as the yanks are, in fact I had a dream about him last night. It was not, unfortunately, a romantic dream, which I must say is disappointing. Imagine women across north america, nay, the world dreaming of Barak as their lover. There must be millions.

A new year for so many of us has brought optimism, and so in this spirit I have broken last year's new years resolution (never making a resolution again), and have made many many resolutions. After all, if I am going to suggest and deeply believe that we create our own destiny, then how can I not make some? Herein I review a few of them and their progress. Others, I will leave to your imagination. I'm not ready to 'come out' of the resolution closet just yet with all of them.

1. No Fast Food in January. I was inspired to make this one after the month of December, which was filled with so many road trips I ate at least 6 too many "snakwraps" and "jr cheezeburgers" for my own good. I don't generally eat much fast food, so I thought it would be easy to maintain. After a few days I realized I was going to Atlanta for 8 days and travelling makes it hard not to eat crap. So I revised the resolution to be that for each time I ate something that qualified as 'fast food' I had to extend the resolution another month. April 1st, here I come! I did not include coffee, bagels or submarine sandwiches, provided the subs had no sub sauce or mayo, only mustard and veggies. Bagels I don't count, because they are fast food simply by nature...I can make them at home. I broke the resoltion first at Quiznos in Atlanta. I was just so hungry and you don't get to choose your toppings there. That took me to Feb 1. This week I had a Tim Horton's breakfast sandwich, which as you may know is like crack to me, so that makes it March 1st. And finally, I had Chinese Takeout. I'm not sure if that really counts but I had Mandarin buffet in the same week, so I'm counting that as one, hence April 1st. I think I can do it.

2. Go back to the gym and get back into your routine. Lots of people make this one. I haven't succeeded yet. I am currently sitting in my exercise attire, blogging. I do believe though, today will be the first day and I will be successful of getting that routine on again.

3. The continuation of my "no drinks save for Friday or Saturday" rule. I also have already broken this one, particularily during the gift show season. Try working eight hour days at tradeshows and NOT drinking afterwards. It's hard. So I've rescheduled Feb 1 as the start date for this.

4. Stop making insanely long phone calls on my cellphone when they are not free or are long distance. So far so good. I was inspired by the 35 dollar phone call I made to my mother recently. That's just giving your money away.

5. Begin doing more illustrations in preparation for the JSJS business. I still don't have Illustrator CS installed, but I have found a source to obtain it. And to be fair to myself, I have had a trojan horse. Fuckers.

6. Quit smoking pot. Totally. Not even occaisionally. I started on the 18th of January with this one and haven't looked back since. It's been remarkably easy for me. I am clearer, smarter, and eat significantly less. I think I'll save money on food more than anything else. I thought I wouldn't list this one but I just did. Maybe I'm clearer than I'd like but I think it's the right choice for me in my life right now. I'm inspired by Rosie's Navy aspirations and her drive to change her life. We can all do whatever we envision for ourselves, we just have to really want it.

7. Stop saying the phrases "that's so gay" or "that's gay" or "that's retarded" or "thats so retarded" or "you're retarded". Not as easy as #6. I wish to change this because I don't think it reflects well on me personally and I also don't really mean it. I love gay things. Especially gay people. And let's lay off with the "retarded", cause that's just juvinile, really. Next up, is removing "like" but I think that might be saved for next year because it's, like, really hard to stop saying.

8. Read more books and less gossip blogs and other mindless drivel. This has been made much more successful as a result of number 6. I have a terrible habit of starting books and not finishing them, so I've been working on finishing a number of novels that have been half read for ages. I'm done 2 so far this month.

9. Blog more often. I love writing and miss it when I can't. It's the thirtieth today so I'm doing ok with getting on top of it I think. Again, trojan horse.

10. Put up with less from people and stick up for myself more. Its probably the most valuable lesson my father ever taught me (which I think deep down he regrets because I barely can get through a meal with him without disagreeing with something he says) but I'm not going to be so nice anymore. In my spirit, I am a nice person. It is un-nice people that I have a problem with, and I am not going to let them say what they will simply because I am too nice to defend my thoughts. Fuck it.

So there ye be. 10 resolutions for the new year.