Happy New Year!

So long, 2011! You may not have been a knockout, but you weren't a bad year--certainly not after 2010, ugh. This was the year we unloaded our condo and went back to renting (hooray) with a move to crazy Venice, so the overall atmosphere of this year has been of thankfulness and relief.

I'm a pretty big fan of New Year's resolutions as a way to set my focus for the coming year, but this year I'm only making two. I'm not making any for my writing--I'm in a pretty good place there, and I've got some fun new projects to work on. Wasting time on the Internet (another previous resolution) won't be one either, since I'm getting better at turning away from all the enticing distractions offered by the world wide web. No, this year my only resolutions are:

1 - Cliché as it is, I have to start getting some exercise. I used to be a regular gym goer, but in the past year I have pretty much abandoned any attempt to stay active. And I feel it, both in the way my jeans fit but more importantly, in my energy level. I'm sure I'm not the only one here who's scheduled exercise only to skip it because I could be getting more writing/revising done! Writing in my free time is important, but good grief, I can't let it be the only thing I do in my free time.

2 - And further to the previous resolution: Be a social animal. Because I got so obsessed with writing this year, I turned into even more of a hermit than I usually am. This has made me an incredibly boring person who has to be nagged to go out and meet people, and usually does so looking like a schlub. I don't like to look like a schlub. I am a fan of good grooming. Not only does going out and being a social animal make me feel better about myself, but I found that when I do get out of the house, being out (and I'm talking about out in the city, not sitting at a friend's apartment drinking wine) and watching and interacting with people is actually a great way to get those creative gears turning.

So that's it. There are other things I should do--eat leaner, read more books--but these are the two things that have been really nagging at me. Good luck with your resolutions, if you're making them, and I wish you all an outstanding 2012!


p.s. My apologies for bailing on the YA Superlative blogfest--between the houseguests, the exhaustion, and having read so few 2011 books, I couldn't get it together. I've been reading the other blogfest posts though, and have queued a bunch of new books to read next year!