Resolutions

So sorry for taking a long leave of absence from blogland...it has been a crazy few weeks, what with being snowed in for two weeks, flooding, wind storms, losing power, etc. We Oregonians have had such an unusually hard winter and it's barely January.

I'm trying to catch up over the next couple of days, but to start, how about some New Year's Resolutions? I've never been big on these, mostly because I always have something I'm working on or towards and don't need a special day to do it. But, since I've never had a blog before, I thought it would be fun to make some. Mine tends towards being pretty specific and not very huge, but they're important to me.

Goals for 2009:

Make one new recipe a week
--starting with ones from my two new cookbooks: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics and Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites

Try one new restaurant a month
--any ideas on this one? My only requirements are that it is in the Portland area, not super expensive, and not solely seafood. Some I've been wanting to try are Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen, Le Pigeon, Petit Provence, and Old Town Pizza

Go to three classes a week at the gym
--went to Pilates this morning, always a favorite and it just makes my day that the teacher is a SJP look-alike. I'm going to be adventurous this year and try some kickboxing and dance classes even though I'm sure I'll feel silly.

Finish quilt
--I'm determined to be more comfortable sewing because I think it's a great skill and I'm pretty embarassed that just about every woman relative of mine is a stellar sewer and I have a borderline phobia of sewing machines. Silly, you say? Well, they go really fast and heaven forbid you get a finger up in there. This one's going to be a toughie.

Organize/prettify my room
--Now that I'm back home for a while, I want to put some time and effort into my room. It's basically unchanged since high school and needs some sprucing. I also need some kind of desk/table to put my computer and printer on. I want to buy something used but I'm not sure where to go. Help?

Read as many books as I can
--How's that for a concrete goal? Now that I have absolutely no school hanging over my head, I want to read all those books I meant to but never had the time or brain cells. I'm currently making my way through The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb, a 700-pager about Columbine that has been amazing so far. When I finish that, I'm looking forward to Certain Girls, Atonement, The Scarlet Letter, Gossip Girl: The Carlyles, The Thirteenth Tale, and The Little Lady Agency in the Big Apple. What are you reading this year?

Get my money's worth from my Blockbuster membership
--I'm trying to be better about my slow turn-around for my movies in the mail, but right now I'm working through LOST season 4 so I can be ready for season 5 on January 21st. Next on my list are some Hitchcocks, Fred & Gingers, P. Newmans, ones I missed on last year, The Duchess, Eagle Eye, Tropic Thunder, Prince Caspian, Hancock, Leatherheads, Wanted and the first season of Mad Men. What are you watching this year?

Completely eliminate plastic bags from my life
--follow-up post to come about organic stuff in general, but I'm doing pretty good on this one, just have to get more bags so the fam can get it on it. Heads up locals: Haggen's and Whole Foods give you a discount for every reusable bag you bring in. Score!