I Guess I Should Be Resolute About Something...

Here's how my resolutions from last year fared...

1. Do everything I can in my very limited power to help Obama be elected president in '08.

CHECK!!! And to think there were some of you who didn't believe me. ;o)

2. Catch up on everyone's blogs and be a better reader.

Hit and miss on that one. Google Reader has definitely helped with that one, but I'm still not the best imaginary friend a blogger could have.

3. Write more, both for myself and for blogging purposes.

CHECK! I wrote a freakin' craptastic novel for crimeny's sake! I haven't been the best blogger, but I have learned to write more for myself.

4. Start research on my super secret project.

I did start the research but found myself taking a different route with it. Now, instead of writing a nonfiction piece about the topic, I think I'm going to turn it into Craptastic Novel #2 (C).

5. Be more efficient and get more done in my professional and my home life.

I was a little better here. Little D growing up has helped me organize and plan life a little more. Of course, the potty training days were full of chaos, but all is well now!

6. Be more romantic w/ Mr. D (he is much better than I in the romance field, but neither of us is really very good at it).

FAIL! I need to carry this one over into this year.

7. Drink more water.

FAIL! I'm going to rehash this one too.

And now, in an effort to be Divine in '09 a la my gay male lover, here are my goals for the upcoming year:

1. Edit Craptastic Novel #1 so that it is fit for reading (family only, probably). January will be my editing month, as February-April will likely be insane.

2. Write Craptastic Novel #2. I want to actually take time and care with this one. The idea is a baby that I've been carrying around for 2 years now, and it's time to be born.

3. Complete NaNoWriMo again. It was the MOST FUN experiment of the year! I made a couple of wonderful new friends through it and it helped my brain start working again. I'm forever grateful to the NaNo gods.

4. Start work on my BCBA certification. Depending on where we move, I'm not sure how likely this one is. If it's within 2 hours of the only university in Oklahoma that offers certification, I'll do it. It may be a logistic mess, but getting this certification and starting work in a field I'm passionate about will be the reward. Also, there's a rumor that the state pays for one's tuition if they sign a contract saying they'll work in Oklahoma for a certain time period--BONUS!

5. Arrive in our new home (wherever it may be!) with a greater sense of optimism than I had when we moved to Ar-Kansas. All signs are pointing towards our being sent to Ardmore, Oklahoma, though one never knows when it comes to the military. But wherever we go, I will make friends in that city rather than relying on my friends from forever-away to meet my social needs. I will also do my best to find some volunteer opportunities (which will be easy if it IS Ardmore, which I will explain when/if the time comes) so that I can get some references built up for when I start back to work AND so that I can set a better example for Little D than I am now.

6. Lose weight, eat healthier, exercise, and drink more water. I had to add that one in there, after all.

7. Go on vacation, even if it's by myself again. Mr. D's schedule really doesn't allow for a real family vacation, but the older I get, the more I want to see this country! I have a friend who has agreed to go on a Bay Area weekend trek with me, so I may be invading Lauri, Martha, and Michelle's homes at some point during the next year.

8. Be more romantic with Mr. D. I promise, I'll REALLY try this year. PROMISE!

9. Work on my spirituality. I'm a confused little atheist-ish person these days. And though I know for a fact that Christianity isn't for me, it doesn't mean that I can't go on a spiritual journey to see what I can find. I still feel the greatest pull towards Buddhism, though it is not a form of spirituality that one can just jump into and "be" (or it feels that way to me). It's a philosophy that must be worked on, practiced, and studied, and I actually like that.

So there's my odd number of resolutions for this year. It's the Big 9 of '09 that will help me be Divine... or else...