Resolute.

I'm not promising anything, but with the dawning of a new year comes a supposed clean slate. A bed to make. A new opportunity.

Whatever your metaphor, it is the time that people seem to make resolutions, or state goals for the new year. I don't think I had any, per se, last year, beyond "travel." Which I did a little of. I mean, I got my passport stamped a few times, went to a few places that are currently in ruin after the tsunami, crossed off a few more states from the 50, hiked to the top of a mountain, and drove over a few state lines with all my earthly possessions. I traveled from student to working suburban yuppie, and now I'm stagnant. A little older, but maybe not much wiser.

I resolve to get out of debt and be a financially responsible adult. I resolve to continue doing all I can in the choices I make to be environmentally responsible. That includes not rolling my eyes every time Kevin installs a compact fluorescent bulb in my desk lamp. I resolve to do well in my job. I resolve to make friends in this area, but not forget those in Seattle, because fuck, do I miss them.

I resolve to get out of the house more often, for things that don't include grocery shopping, work, and extraneous Target visits. I resolve to visit the places in the Bay Area that make it cool, and try to forget that most of the time I'm surrounded by suburban San Jose drudgery. I resolve to try to like the drudgery more, anyway. I resolve to force Kevin to force me to go for hikes. Maybe even try camping again. But we'll stick to hiking for now, because I've never not enjoyed a hike.

I resolve to cook more often and really work at being excited by the variety of healthy, delicious foods that have the potential of coming out of my kitchen. I resolve to try to grow at least one pot of tomatoes on my back porch, because I fuckin' love tomatoes. Herbs would be nice, too.

I resolve to fix this allergy shit and visit my mom.

And I resolve to get my hair cut so it stops irritating me.