Making Plans

I bet you thought I was gone for good, didn’t you?  Ah ha BUT I’M NOT!

For the record, I really dislike starting almost every blog entry with some sort of explanation or apology regarding my lengthy absence. But, I feel like I have to acknowledge the fact that I don’t regularly post. Then again, I guess you guys are used to it (or SHOULD be by now), so you and I have an understanding about the way this works: I think about posting all the time. I only post when I can. Sometimes I start a post only to scrap it because it makes me feel like a narcissist always blabbing on about myself…and then sometimes I follow through with posting because I accept my narcissistic tendencies and just go with it. You, on the other hand, are foaming at the mouth, anxiously awaiting my next update. That’s how it goes, amiright?

Moving on…

There is SO MUCH to share with you guys right now. Lots of changes, lots of positive vibes and good feelings, happy things. First, let’s celebrate the end of Christmas and GET ON WITH OUR LIVES already. Sheesh. I don’t know about you, but I’m not buying a single damn thing for another 12 months. Not for me, not for anyone…unless it’s wine. And it's important to note that all wine should be bought for and consumed by yours truly. Speaking of drinking, it’s New Year’s Eve tomorrow night! I’m very much looking forward to having a few close friends and family over for a fun night of games. We’ll don our favorite lounge clothes/pajamas and do whatever we can to stay awake until midnight. Then, assuming I still have my wits about me, I’ll make Midnight Breakfast for our guests.

So what else is going on? LOTS. The new year is always exciting to me. I look forward to new beginnings and making plans. I have a brand new planner that currently has NO PLANS in it, so I’m working on making a few things happen. It’s time for a little Listy-Lu (I couldn’t wait for this. This list was practically the whole reason for my posting in the first place.)

2012 – The year of…

- - A new master bathroom

-  - And, as a result of the new master bath, probably new décor for the master bedroom as well (they need to flow. Duh.)

-  - More yoga classes for Stacey. This is a MUST in order for me to stay calm and keep a healthy, positive outlook on things.

-  - More flying for Sean – and hopefully an instrument rating!

   - Stacey turning THIRTY. Blech. But, in order to cope with old age, I will treat myself to a fun trip. I’m thinking Vegas! Who’s coming with?

 - More travel. You see, we're DINKs. Not only that, but we're DINKs in Small-town, Tennessee. Seriously, the most exciting opportunity we have in Franklin is running into Ben Folds getting FroYo at Sweet CeCe's on a Thursday night (true story).  I'm really not complaining, but the truth is that life here can get pretty boring. So, if I'm going to be bored, I'd rather be bored on the beach or in a new town that I can explore. Then plan is to visit our friends who moved far, far away from us, and hitting up a few places that we've never seen before.

  - Staying matched with my Little Sister. It's complicated. Her life isn't shiny and bright. In fact, it's kind of crappy. Hanging out with her isn't always fun (not her fault), but I think it's important for me to stay with her. I have no reason NOT to stay with her. We haven't really formed a close bond (not by my standards, anyway), and the truth is that we may never have a close bond. But as long as she wants to keep seeing me, then I will be there. This relationship is unlike any other, but I keep reminding myself that different is good. Getting out of my comfort zone will help me grow. Staying committed to something that doesn't benefit me is an act of selflessness, and Lord knows I need to be more selfless. He also knows I need to be better about keeping my mouth shut and quit bossing people around. ah, but it's so fun..

-- And finally, using my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I vow to do more cooking and baking for fun (not just out of necessity) because I really do love being in the kitchen. 

So...I guess this list should keep us pretty busy throughout the year! I look forward to sharing new happenings with you guys. You know, whenever I get around to it. MWAH!