What a Life!

Today we’re going to talk about what my real New Year’s resolutions were. Yes, apparently the ones I so proudly posted weren’t the real thing.

Here’s my real resolution: Not to quit when I fail.

There. That’s it. Very simple.

Seriously. We all got sick so I didn’t get much reading done. Would you believe I didn’t knit for two entire days while I was sick last week? You know I’m really sick if I’m not knitting. Two nights ago I finally finished my “December book.” Remember I said I was going to read one book per month? It was the one I was going to finish in December. It was a good one – I would recommend it. Now I’m reading Vinegar Hill. I started it last night and it seems to be good so far.

Taking time for myself every day? I don’t always get the qualtiy time to myself that I want. Other people in the house wake up (Ben and Joey were awake at 6:00 a.m. yesterday). Occasionally I sleep in (until 7:45 Saturday morning…which is really late for me). I’m still not a member of the Five O’Clock Club which I’d like to be, but I did get up at 5:45 this morning.

Here’s the problem with the Five O’Clock Club thing. My alarm clock is actually a radio turned down really low. I don’t like to be startled by some bleeping thing when I wake up in the morning. I use the sleep button to turn it on at night while I read in bed and then go to sleep. I listen to classical music – very relaxing. I like to have it turned down low for the sleep thing. And since it turns itself off, I don’t have to wake myself up reaching over to turn it off before I go to sleep.

I’ve had this alarm clock for at least ten years, and I’ve always been able to wake up to that nice soft radio every morning at the same volume I go to sleep by. However, when I was pregnant with Joey, I learned to sleep through it. Not a good thing. So now it goes off in the morning and I still wake up whenever I wake up. Somehow I need to teach myself to wake up when the radio comes on again. Gotta work on that…

And exercise? I think January in Nebraska is the worst month to start an exercise routine, especially one that involves going outdoors. I don’t like exercising right away when I wake up in the morning. For me, the perfect time is right after Steve leaves for work. But I don’t have a double stroller, and even if I did, Joey isn’t sitting up yet, and how would I keep the boys warm? Joey is too fussy in the evening for me to leave the house. Steve’s classes started up and they’re heavy writing classes this time (no tests). He really doesn’t have time to spend the evening trying to console a crying baby.

I still have every intention of going for daily walks again. But I think it’s going to have to wait until the weather warms up a bit. Last year, I went for daily walks in February and March – I just did it after lunch when it was 40 degrees out. Perhaps I’ll get a double stroller for my birthday and Joey will be big enough to at least prop up in it. Then I could happily walk every day (except for when it rains, of course). I miss walking. I miss warm weather.

I have other New Year’s Resolutions as well. My resolve is the same with them – to not quit when I fail. To get back on the horse when I fall off. To get back up and keep running after I skin my knee. That resolution pretty much applies to all of my life. If you look at that resolution alone, so far I’m doing pretty good.