New Year's Resolutions

I love new year’s resolutions. Other than books, I don’t really track them over the course of the year, I have no idea if I’ve actually succeeded at any of them. But I love the idea of an opportunity to re-invent yourself, a starting point to get a little closer to being the person you want to be.

My resolutions usually range from the obvious stuff, getting healthy, taking lessons or trips… to the pet peeves I have about myself, like resolving to talk less and listen more. I always know that these kinds of changes can’t be made on a whim, but it’s a nice fantasy.

Kind of like the lottery – for the mere cost of a dollar, I can spend an entire day planning everything I would do with the money, and all the fantastic things I could do for my loved ones. It never happens, but I always get a dollar’s worth out of it.

The truth is, most years my silly lists of resolutions just remind me how much I already love my life, and how my goals are always just fine tuning the things I’m already doing. What a wonderful exercise that is.

So I think this year, I’m going to resolve my standard 52 books, to start piano lessons again (I really want to learn how to play Clair de Lune as a side note to this one), and to buy a membership to the zoo for taking the kiddos. 2010 will be another great year –and I wish the same happiness for you. We are so lucky.

Click on the photo to enlarge, this caught my eye at the office and gave me a few smiles.

Best Books 2009

Well, I fell far short of my annual goal of 52 books this year! I read 21, but can only take partial credit for that since some were re-reads and honestly, Sophie Kinsella books barely count anyway, they are just little mental cupcakes. They were necessary because frankly, the more cerebral books were pretty boring this year.

So no top 10 list, but here are some noteworthies:

• My favorite was Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell. He is a terrific writer and can make anything interesting. He's author of The Tipping Point, Blink, and a new book called What the Dog Saw, which is coming up soon on my list.
  
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo; Larsson. Unusual mystery with some espionage, colorful characters and an unusual flavor with Stockholm as the setting.
• The Gargoyle; Davidson. A story about a recovering burn victim and his lover, with some extremely interesting flashbacks to another age, vignettes of love stories, stone sculpting and Dante's Inferno to round things out.
• Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife; Roach. Another non-fiction author that can make any topic fun, wrote Stiff which is one of my all-time favorites.
  
• Assassin's Apprentice; Hobb. This is the fantasy genre, taking place in a royal court, I guess it is what it sounds like. I was pleasantly surprised.

On the second tier, I also read The Road, Twenties Girl, Her Fearful Symmetry and The Lost Symbol. All interesting but not extraordinary... although the last page of The Road is something special.

As usual my list of upcoming books looks much more exciting, so keep your fingers crossed for 2010! I started Super Freakonomics at lunch and it's already a pleasure.

New Music

This year I've been going through a mellow singer/songwriter phase with music. I've been listening to 'coffeeshop' stations on satellite radio. My favorite find has been Jason Mraz, but today I heard a couple of gorgeous songs by a group called The Weepies. World Spins Madly On is wonderful and most popular on iTunes, but I recommend Can't Go Back Now even more. The lyrics really move me.

Holiday Photos

It's been forever since I posted photos, looks like I have a New Year's resolution, huh? Here's what's been on the cameras.... A few are a little blurry, I gotta figure out this new point-and-shoot. Shouldn't it be perfect without the manual by definition? Click on a photo to enlarge.


Possibly the best image of my daughter in existence, and Leslie gets the credit...

Trip to Costco, I got a big laugh from both of them rumbling across the parking lot...



Thanksgiving Eve cocktail party at my cousin Chris' house. From left to right, Sommer (a friend of the hostess), my cousins Summer, Ryan, Connie and Chris.

My brother and sister-in-law Lori came to visit for our birthdays in early December, and this was the happiest face we could get in the photo shoot!


Birthday night at Opal, a sushi lounge near downtown. From left to right, Lori's friend Maggie, my brother Dave, my cousin Chris, me, Lori and Maggie's boyfriend John.

Sarah and me at the 'company' party.

Christmas morning with pop.



My friend Sejal is in town, visiting from Chicago!






Mom and me.


The quality is lacking, but I love this one anyway.

Ada always proves herself just a little more adventurous...

A New Act

Comedy Works in Denver is having a new act in town, Aziz Ansari. If you've seen Parks and Recreation, he's one of the stars of that show. I can't wait to see him live, here's a fun example of what's he's like, keep an eye out for him!

Teamwork

Uncle Dave and Aunt Lori paid a visit, and got to play with Ada and Logan. Here was a fun moment in the kitchen...