Twenty Thirteen

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My first New Year's Eve in DC was a magical one - magical because I went to bed at 11:30p.m. and, when I woke up, it was next year! Ah, the magical passage of time. 

Yes, I missed the ball drop. I skipped the opportunity to wear sequins, a sparkly tiara and hit the town. It had been a long week and I'd been on the road all day driving back from NC. I had a headache and the only thing that could fix it was a glass of prosecco, my cozy bed and a solid eight hours of sleep. 

I did celebrate 2013 the next day at brunch with friends at Jefferson 20 in Old Town Alexandria. While my friends were exhausted from the previous night's festivities, I was refreshed and well-rested, ready to take on my bottomless mimosas. And by "bottomless," I mean, two  - just enough to make the deal worth it.

2012 was a pretty good year for me - I moved to DC, started a new job, began my ramblings with you fine folks on this blog and even became an auntie! I'm excited to see what 2013 has in store - it's a brand new year in my (semi) brand new city!

I've never been one to make new year's resolutions but thought - given my new DC life - I should consider a few. Truth is, I don't really understand new year's resolutions.  Yes it's a new year but, if you couldn't find the time to exercise any time during the months of October, November, or December, then what makes January so special? Am I right? 

All my magazines tell me that my resolutions should involve:

- losing weight, eating healthy and exercising
- saving money
- keeping in better touch with friends and family
- reading more books or learning a new skill

Are those really resolutions? Aren't those just things you should do so that you don't die or get lonely or stupid? Those are sort of basic activities you should always be thinking about. Let's be honest, most people don't keep their resolutions. So, how about you make eating healthy and exercising a way of life and instead resolve to do something like, learn to write and perform your own raps. That way, there isn't as much life-or-death pressure. If you fail to keep your resolution, then the only thing that happens is the world is denied your sweet rhymes. At least you'll still be healthy and less at risk for a heart attack. 

While pondering and researching what creative New Year's resolutions I could develop for my first full year in DC, I rediscovered these gems from Thought Catalog last year. In case you failed to click the hyperlink I so thoughtfully inserted for you, I've listed them below. And, since it's my blog and I have full control over editorial content, I've elaborated on a few of them in red. Mind you, these are from 2012, but I think they still hold up and may even be applicable to many of you, even if you aren't a 20-something. 

20 New Year's Resolutions for 20-Somethings

By Jessie Rosen

1. Before you status update, Tweet, Tumble or Instagram, pause and say to yourself, “is it entirely necessary that I share this morsel of thought with my entire social network?”and if the answer is not, “yes, I absolutely must,” then step away from the Internet. (Sadly, I answer "yes, I absolutely must" all the time. But you guys like seeing pictures of my tea, right? RIGHT?!) 
2. Know which candidate you’re going to vote for in the upcoming presidential election, and know why. (Er, this is from 2012, but you should still try to keep up with politics) 
3. Enough with the 14-day juice cleanses. If you want to lose a little weight quickly, eat less and exercise like crazy. If you want to lose a lot of weight slowly, do whatever Jennifer Hudson did. 
4. If you really like the person you’re hooking up with and would like them to be your boyfriend/ girlfriend, find a way to tell them, and hope for the best. If you don’t and wouldn’t, stop. 
5. Find a way to save approximately 300 dollars and spend it on a flight to see a friend or family member who lives far away. (I'm not sure how "far away" you can go for $300, but good luck.) 
6. Please stop liking the Kardashians, all of them. It’s not helping anyone, least of all the Kardashians. (This one is even more important this year as we don't want to encourage any sort of TV special on the birthing of Kim and Kanye's baby.) 
7. Spend less than or equal to the money you earn each month. 
8. Wear clothes that fit you, especially to work. (Unless you are a stripper.) 
9. Call someone on the phone at least once a week, and speak to him or her for at least ten minutes. (I hate talking on the phone so, if I'm the one you're calling, let's keep it to at most ten minutes. Just kidding. Sort of.) 
10. Start preparing now to get over the fact that Facebook is probably going to change again in six months. You’re not going to deactivate your account. You don’t know how. 
11. Wait 30 seconds before you look up a fact you can’t remember on your phone, and try to remember it using your brain. This is what the olden days were like. 
12. Replace one terrible reality show you’re currently watching with one wonderful scripted show currently available on television. Swap suggestion: Real Housewives of Anywhere for HBO’s Enlightened. (Swap suggestion: Real Housewives of Miami for Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Don't try to tell me that show's not scripted. Wonderfully scripted.) 
13. Try that food you think you don’t like but have never actually tried, unless it’s brussels sprouts. They really don’t need any more attention. (Don't be like me and spend 17 years of your life missing out on the glory that is guacamole.) 
14. Cut one person out of your life who you truly do not like and add one person who you truly do. Note: not on Facebook, on Earth. (Do not literally cut them) 
15. If you’re still blacking out regularly, you should stop. (Seriously, no one is impressed when a 29-year-old can't remember last night. Unless you're in a coma. Still not impressive, but understandable.) 
16. Volunteer once over the next 90 days. You’ll feel really good about it, and probably end up volunteering again over the next 275. (I have nothing snarky to say. This is a good one.) 
17. Tell someone who you love that you love them on a more regular basis. To their face, not in a text. 
18. Back up your entire online life onto an external hard drive, especially your photos. 
19. Crap or get off the pot. This applies to whatever thing you’re not doing that you should just sack up and do already. (I have to tell myself this every week in regards to doing laundry.) 
20. And in the eternal words of Tom Haverford, “TREAT YO SELF!”

And, with that inspiration, I present to you my...

2013 May-Never-Happen-But-That's-OK New Year's Resolutions 

1. Cook one new recipe a month from one of the dozens of cookbooks I have. Apparently they aren't just for beautiful pictures. 
2. Save up to buy a camera. Like, a real camera with multiple lenses that doesn't also text or make calls.
3. Vacuum weekly. 
4. Visit (or revisit) all of the Smithsonian museums.
5. Try the cafeterias at all of the Smithsonian museums, as applicable. The ones I've been to were delicious.
6. Take my dry cleaning to the cleaners more than once every six months. (I'm also using this as a bit of a to-do list.)
7. Do a segway tour of the national mall. Judge me all you want. THIS WILL BE AWESOME.
8. Attend 5 free DC events - festivals, parades, inaugurations. 
9. Go ice skating at the National Sculpture Garden.
10. Volunteer. (Suggestions are welcome.)
11. Randomly go to a (inexpensive) concert at a local venue to check out new bands.
12. Eat more brunch. (Words to live by.)
13. Venture out on more of these amazing DC day trips I keep hearing about.
14. Re-learn to ride a bike. (Don't get hit by a car. Ok, maybe this is a life-or-death resolution.)
15. Watch The West Wing.