"It Was Firm, It Was Adamant, It Was Resolved."

Well, I guess it's fairly fitting that it's a movie quote to start off the post about resolutions since that will play a part in one of them. I guess I'll just list and exposit as I go.

So, looking back at posts from 2007, I never really set forth an actual list, I was just trying to clear up the list from 2006. This year, I do have an actual list, I guess.

1. Get the new house in shape for both family and baby.
2. Drop another 30 or so lbs. and put a little definition back into the old (and getting older) body.
3. The 5/15/150 prospective.
4. Slowly carve out more time for each family memeber and their pursuits.
5. Try and remember that both children will be unique and a little over 4 years in age difference.

Number one is fairly self-explanatory. We just recently moved and in the midst of packing and moving, found out we were expecting. So, the room in the house where we moved all the extraneous things into is slated to be the nursery. It hasn't quite recovered yet and there are still things strewn about the house. It's slowly taking shape, but it will have to happen a lot quicker to accomodate a late June/early July delivery.

Number two should also be self-explanatory. I've been slowly climbing down back toward the number I have in my head and looking back over the past couple years, I've realized that I've gone down about 10 lbs. each the past two years so it's no longer 50 lbs., but 30. And, though I never had a six-pack set of abs, I'd like to be able to distinguish where the muscles are and my legs, which were, at one time, the body part that was most in shape, are now beginning to lose the tone that they used to have.

Number three deals with my healthy obsession with pop culture. The 150 represents the number of "new" movies that I'd like to view this year. I half-heartedly started this last year, but will be pursuing it a little more firmly this year. Movies only count if I haven't seen them before. That can be a first run release such as Sweeney Todd, National Treasure 2, or the Bucket List or it can be a movie that I wanted to catch, but didn't make the theater such as Waitress, Rush Hour 3, and Eastern Promises. The 15 represents the number of novels that I'd like to read this year. I didn't even come close last year and that was with re-reading 1-6 of the Potter series and adding the 7th. I have several books that I'd like to slot in, but this is the year that I'd like to read all 7 of the Dark Tower series. I'm severely lagging behind in that regard. Ten years ago, I'd be reading the book as I was walking out of the bookstore buying it, but time is hard to come by these days. The 5 is just a little qualifier I recently added after talking to Tom. Tom would have made it through the 150 movies if he could have counted television shows on dvd. So, the 5 is added to accomodate series television on dvd. With what I already own, but haven't seen, I can get almost 40% of the way there on the movies and have enough for the next 7 years tv-wise. As for the 15 novels, I'll talk about that further at the end of this post.

Number 4 is kind of an all overall goal that will only be accomplished by all of us kind of working in tandem. In order for Terri to have time to scrapbook or read or for me to watch movies or build puzzles or write or Gage to learn how to skate or learn how to read, we'll have to keep up with everything else going on in our lives. Cleaning and maintaining the household, looking after the new little one, making sure work doesn't intrude at home, and not falling into the rut of excuses will be main contributing factors toward realizing this goal.

Number 5 is my own personal goal to realize that Gage has been, what I consider to be, the model child in many ways. Yes, I'd love for him to not have my sleep habits, but that can't be helped. This new little one, be it boy or girl, may or may not follow the same paths, but regardless, they will be unconditionally loved and I just need not to project either my own visions of progress or measure against Gage's progress during the formative months and years that lay ahead.

So, there's 2008 in a very ambitious nutshell. And, being almost one week into it and not having even slivered off any of it, well...there's 51 more to go.

Now, as for the 15 novels. When we were moving, Susie seemed appalled at the number of books and said I should count them as I was getting them organized and put away. Well, I have that number. And, for the comments section, I'd like to see guesses on how many books the readers of my blog think I might have. I'll reveal the answer after I see how close or far some of the guesses are. Again, I hope your 2008 is happy, healthy, and productive.

A Rebirth?!?

Alright, alright. Yes, it's been about 260 days since my last post. And, if I went into detail about all that had happened since, it'd be another 260 days before I finished this one. So, basically here's the condensed spiel we sent in our holiday cards.

Change was in the works for us in 2007. We left the house we'd been in for 6 years, got pregnant with a second kid, I got promoted again, etc. etc.

The house story would take days and days in and of itself to plunk down in a post and anyone who actually still visits this blog has either heard about it, been there in person, or can call for updates.

As for the child, well it's still too early to tell if it's a boy or girl, but Mommy and baby are healthy and happy (when Mommy's not throwing up that is). Gage is excited about the prospect of being a big brother and for a long time was set on having a baby brother because he's a boy and that would work out. Then he changed his mind and wanted a little sister. Then he got the idea that if we had one of each, Mommy could play with the little sister, he could play with the little brother and then they could switch. Apparently I wasn't included in that master plan. Once the doctor confirms that we're having a boy (since no girls are allowed in my family), then we'll be able to give Gage more concrete details to assimilate. He'll eventually have a name and a nursery will take shape. That won't happen til late January, early February, though.

Promotion is a promotion. Nothing interesting there.

The first half of the holidays were nice. Gage got his zamboni from Santa Claus so his Christmas was made. New Year's Day will find Terri and I outside in Buffalo watching the Winter Classic between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres. I'm sure given the chance most people head for the beach and we're driving to Buffalo, to sit outside. Maybe the doctor can examine our heads when they do the sonogram.

Ok, I don't want to be too wordy on my first day back. I'm sure there will be the requisite resolution type things for the coming year shortly to follow with the first one being started today...namely, posting here a lot more often than once every 260 days. Hope the rest of your holiday season goes well.