year end review....

My 2006 Major NYE Resolutions

• Meet and start daing my Husband :)
  


• complete my poetry portfolio from my “Study in Venice” tour, and have it turned in for a grade by March 31, 2006
  


• set scheduled time for 1 gym workout & 1 long walk each week
  


• be financially able to start shopping for a horse by april 2006(incl. having 3 mos. board in bank, having other finances in order, and $1000 set aside for purchase)
  


• travel to NYC w/ my friend Dee for an extended weekend, see Spamalot, and spend time “catching up”,which we havent been able to do for some years
  


• devote myself to discernment for Reform Judaism: attend Rabbi Abbie’s textual studies class weekly, sign up for Intro to Judaism course thru Hebrew Union College, figure out a synagogue to attend and a Rabbi to mentor me in my discernment, follow thru on deciding if this is the true spiritual path for me
  


• add another stamp in the passport, perhaps by travelling to Istanbul, Turkey [ Hagia Sophia, here i come….! ]
  


• OR register for the Summer Writing Program, June 19 to July 16 – 2006 at Naropa writing Institute in Boulder, CO
  


• OR Certification Training Program in Japanese PsychologyJuly 15-23, 2006 at The ToDo Institute (near Middlebury, Vermont)

the minor NYE to do resolutions list:

Most of them involve money.

• get the stereo/tape player repaired


• Finish purge of Kitchen area by June 30, 2006 and order newnice wood kitchen table, donating old to “Freestore”


• take ‘found’ Rocker to tri-county furniture to be restored (completed Sept 2006: gave it to Goodwill)


• paint Kitchen Wall


• box up & return items to last boyfriend, along with friendly note


• Do Pilates: find class that works for my schedule/finances


• clean all trash from car, take in for professional interior clean (carpets swept, shampooed, fresh scent) & put in new floor mats


• sign-up for Fanchon Shur body movement assessment


• register for CommU course before refund coupon expires


• return items to Prof B’s mailbox, along with note


• Find and buy “Tree of Life” rug for living room in colours that match


• search & find the perfect gray, long-haired female kitten from the homeless shelters to adopt (yay ! adopted Kali july 7, 2006)


• re-pot all the houseplants (completed june 2006)


• replace spare tire & wheel rim, as i’m currently without one (costs about $100 for both)


• pay off 05S class, so i can register for manditory class Summer 2006


• create my own personal business card (completed sept 2006)

The almost 2007 Update:

well, here it is, 9 days before the new year begins,,,and i’ve gotten precious little done on EITHER of my ‘NYE To Do’ lists. Money has certainly been the big obstacle this year,,,given that i didnt start bringing in any paychecks till Sept, (1ate Sept at that!),,,,and its basically been a challenge tpo keep on top of exsistence expenses, let alone anything “Enriching” or “Self-Improvement”
But i noticed, rather than completing the Precise goal, i DID manage to do something in a related vein on several. e.g:
whereas i never had the money to think about buying a horse, i Did start back riding again after a Fiftenn Year Hiatus, and had a moderately successful summer competing in horse shows
whereas i never did complete my Venice Poetry Portfolio by the deadline (worked out an extension with Prof),,,i DID get a poetry group successfully off the ground, and am now writing LOTS more poetry on a monthly basis…
whereas i never did get the package (and of more difficulty, The Letter) sent to my ex-boyfriend,,,i did actually call him, had a long (3hr) phone conversation with him where we came to a very good resolution/understanding about the end of our relationship
whereas my gym membership expired, so i never started a weekly workout routine, i’ve lost 40+lbs due to meds change, and with the horseback riding lessons, have been “excercising” on a lot more consistant basis
the two things i wanted most of the list, start dating my husband, and travel (to one of many destinations), were not even in ballpark of occurring. I had a bunch of blind dates over the year that went no where,,,and lots of parties / opportunities to meet someone, but nothing ever materialized….sigh. It wouldnt be so bad, if it didnt put me 1 year closer to the Absolute deadline my gyn Dr. gave me—she’s knows of no one past 47yrs who ever had a child naturally of their own…
Travelling is dismaying in a different way: its a NYE commitment i’ve kept since 1992, to go to 1 Place New every year. The one year i broke that commitment, in 2002, (again, due to finances), it wound up having a Very damaging effect on my health (seriously!) (i wound up in the hospital 2 mos later) I think because the majority of my life is so stressful, i truly need that ‘release valve’ once a year to truly ‘leave it all behind’ for a space in time. Since i have abit of time in this next week, i might just take the ‘throw the dart in a map’ plan of a short road trip for a few days, just for meaningless, indulgent fun. ‘Really hate to think of the year passing and breaking this commitment yet again….