My New Year’s ResolutionS

I never make a New Year’s resolution. In fact, I don’t think I have ever made one. This year I’ve got a list of them:

Paint the kitchen and bathroom ceilings.

Paint the trim on the stairs.

Patch the crack in the ceiling in my bedroom where the roof leaked.

Pull up the carpet in the bedroom.

Take down the old garden shed in my backyard and get a new one.

Repot my plants.

Buy a coat rack.

Find a great pair of jeans.

Wait, those are all things that are on my To Do List. Isn’t a New Year’s resolution the same thing really? I mean, I don’t have any one, big thing I need to do. I eat well, I don’t need to lose any weight, I exercise, I don’t drink, I’m relatively nice to people, I may swear to much but who the fuck cares? A resolution is something that you intend to do. Well, I’ve intended to do the things on my list for ages now. Maybe I just need them to become a “resolution” instead of a chore.

Yes, beginning tomorrow I will start in on that list. Right after I…..

Happy New Year, everyone. May all your resolutions come true.

It's the added quarter that'll getcha

Oh.My.God. I’m old. First I blog about pajamas in public and now I’m going to rant about the price of movies. Here goes: What is up with the price of movies?? My friend M and I were talking about it when we went to see The Family Stone the other day. Holy expletive! $7. for a matinee and $9.25 (don’t even get me started on the 25 cents) for an evening showing?! I remember when movies used to cost 99 cents. Yup, that’s right, the theater near where I grew up had 99 cent movies. The woman in the ticket booth sat there with a HUGE pile of pennies in front of her and would push one out to you after you gave her your dollar. It may have shown the new releases a couple months late but it was before VCRs so they were all still new.

I can then remember when they opened a huge Multiplex in a town close by. I saw ET there and paid about $3.00. Ahhhh, yes, ET. The movie that started my downward spiral into Reese’s Pieces addiction. Not pretty. But I digress.

I now see why my Boss just buys the DVDs when they come out. He said it’s cheaper to buy them then to pay for tickets for him and his wife and to get food. True, but the popcorn really is never as good out of the microwave and where can one buy that butter topping they have at the theater? I have heartburn just thinking about it.

There is something about going to the movies though. It’s not just the sticky floors and the jackass behind you who has to ask, “Is THAT the bad guy?”, it’s the whole experience of the big screen, reclining chairs, and buttered popcorn. I will complain, but I’ll still shell out the money. But only to go to the matinees, I’m not Donald Trump you know.

It's off to work I go

I can’t remember the last time I actually had six whole days off of work with absolutely nothing to do. And just as I was getting used to sleeping in until 7, hiking with the dogs, running errands in the morning, meeting friends for lunch, going to the movies with friends, eating obscene amounts of popcorn with gobs of butter flavoring on said popcorn and then going out to dinner with other friends, the damn alarm woke me up at 5:30 this morning. NPR and reality were telling me to get my ass out of bed and get to the office. Sigh…

It may sound strange but I’m kind of glad to be back. Don’t get me wrong, I like being able to read on the couch in the middle of the day and take hour long naps when the God damn neighborhood kids areN'T playing basketball in the street, but being back at work and feeling productive is kind of nice.

Of course I may have to leave early. I wouldn’t want to overdo it or anything. But not until after I make plans with a friend to go to see The Producers tomorrow afternoon. Our office will close at noon.

Just what I wanted! REALLY!

Another Christmas come and gone. This morning I ridded the house of everything Christmas. Actually, that’s a lie, I still have the poinsettias - I can’t get rid of living things.

Santa was really good to me this year. I got a Cashmere sweater and a Weed Wacker. Guess which I’m most excited about? Hint: it’s not the sweater. When I opened the gift I was a little shocked. “But, Dad…” I said, “I have a weed wacker.” “Uh, NO, I have a weed wacker.” Ohhhhhhh…..I guess he wants his back now. See, this is where we differ. I would have purchased a new one for myself and let the thieving child keep the old one. Parents, they're so generous. Children, we're so selfish.