Happy New You

There’s nothing quite like the new year to get you thinking about ‘stuff’ – careers/relationships/ friends/ hobbies/ that one room you still haven’t gotten round to finishing painting.  Things never seem as glaringly obvious as they do at the start of the year. Lest I spend yet another year ‘fudging’ my way through day to day activities and mental skirmishes, I’m turning my hand to writing some new years resolutions.  2012 is the year of achieving; the year of ticking boxes; the year of tasting sweet success - hopefully not in the form of a tub of chocolate orange as i currently know it. Basically the year I don’t end the year pondering what I’ve done with the past 12 months. So without further ado, I present a first draft of my 2012 resolutions.

1. Blog more. Indulge inner Carrie Bradshaw and Bridget Jones by throwing verbal diarrhea into the computer and making public to the unfortunate eyes of mr and mrs joe bloggs (pun unfortunate but relevant). Refrain from trying to make blog posts sound clever and ‘career driven,’ it’s awkward and uncomfortable for both reader and writer and as natural as a TOWIE tan or Keira Knightly’s acting ability.
2. Learn the full causes behind the Korean War. A result of not knowing the social context of one episode of Mad Men.
3.  Get printed in a publication. For something ‘cool and interesting.’
4.  Get Sky broadband so I can write these damn posts in the comfort of my own home rather than sat at my desk at work in a cold office when I should be home in my pjs and eating my gingerbread house. Importance of ginger should be noted!
5. Meet Stephen Fry.
6.  Plan more sober activities with friends. Well activities that start out sober. Vodka and jager have left us all still catching up from 2009. This must change. Girly brunch officially arranged at the breakfast club for Saturday by yours truly. No time like the present as they say.
7.  Do something to add to my CV and self worth.
8. Win something. Deliberately vague due to difficulty. Sadly with no exceptional skill sets this will prove a tricky one to complete. Not won an award since first year of uni.  Dining off ‘Best Hair award,’ proving increasingly challenging 6 years on.
9. Visit a foreign city to experience another culture. Unusual beer in Prague/ pedaling in Venice. Location and experience TBC just DMH (definitely must happen).
10. Spread the self-coined word ‘amazeballs’ - definition meaning: fantastic, wonderful - so that by the end of the year I hear one person I do not know, utter the word with genuine zeal.
11. Locate the 3 x A4 pad ‘book’ I wrote at the age of 8 and lament at how my linguistic skills have not moved on since.
12. Own THAT Chanel bag. Having paired up being successful at ‘life’ with possessing that quilted black , I’ve decided this is the year I’m finally going to achieve the desired state of ‘successfullness.’

Now with draft one of my resolutions out there on paper, a friend of a friend shared a lovely little tradition he does with his friends at the start of a new year and any other ‘momentous’ occasion. A list of things you a grateful for. Normally overtly nice conversations such as these leave me lunging for the bin but in the spirit of the game i'll seek to overcome my unease and play long. 

So, things I am grateful for

1. Porridge. I am neither normal nor nice without the stuff. Without oats I am much akin to a fish on dry land. Grotesque, unsightly, abnormal (including movements) and near dead.
2. Ginger. The flavouring.  I have been known to inhale an entire packet of ginger nut biscuits before Tracy Barlow has the opportunity to utter the words ‘stupid cow’ on Coronation Street. To Harriet at Dorset Cereals, I thank you for providing with my gingerbread-flavoured porridge. The moleskine Christmas gift you received was a sign of eternal gratitude at marrying 2 age-old love affairs of mine.
3. Feel it’s appropriate to include people at some point now so point 3 is the number for my friends and family to get a look in. 
4. Securing a winning pitch to Kellogg’s back in December 2011 ensuring I keep my job and fridge/cupboards full. Also helps with various previously listed resolutions.
5. Living in London. A city that finally gets me. Or perhaps I’m borderline boring and pale in comparison to the Shoreditch ‘London dickheads.’ I’m sorry that I’m not dressing my 20/20 vision with lens free glasses.
6. Fleecy socks. I swear there is no-one on gods green earth with colder feet than mine.
7. Oyster cards. Left my card in my pre Christmas gift purse and had to purchase a Balham to London bridge return ticket this morning. £8.60? Boris, mate, you having a laugh?
8. Epipens. A brush with death several months back has resulted in a new love for the adrenalin filled jabby things. It’s as in the daily bag as my benefit blusher. NB: must practice on an orange with an out of date one this week.
9. McDonalds for adding those slimy Gherkins to their burgers. Without them those tasty artery blockers could not be legally classified as food.
10. Innocent for providing me with real food to help reverse damage caused by gratitude 9.

As the weather outside is as dark as my liver on Christmas Day – Christmas Eve was a tad ‘merrier’ than planned – I simply must dash off to the cosy banklet and dinner awaiting me at mi casa. The blustering winds of this morning have not subsided and so if you never hear from me again it is not because I fell at the first hurdle of resolution 1, but because my umbrella has caused me to do a ‘Mary Poppins’ around London and beyond!

Ciao just for now. hopefully.

Happy New Year all!!

x