“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” Bill Vaughan

Is it pessimistic if I want to do both? 2008 has not been a great year. I’m confident that 2009 will be better. Not that there will be some magical feeling of newness and awe tonight at the stroke of midnight plus one leap second. But I do hope that the year as a whole will be better.

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions because those usually don’t make it past January. Instead, here are my goals for 09:

1. Run a marathon

2. Become a better cook

3. Get more involved in volunteer organizations

4. Finally do the landscaping I've been putting off for 3 years

5. Take more pictures

6. Improve my Spanish

I'll keep you posted

R