Resolved: The 2010 Edition
It’s time for New Year’s resolutions: the 2010 edition, but first, a recap of my 2009 resolutions and how I did:
- Recommit to the Riot 4 Austerity: For the most part, done in practice, but I did not keep up with tracking our progress either for ourselves or online. While I think we’re doing fairly well in terms of lowering our carbon footprint, I don’t really how we stack up. I also find a hard target motivational, so when I am slightly less overwhelmed with the needs of an infant and very inquisitive preschooler I am going to start keeping a quantitative tally of our emissions again. I am, however, not going to make it a resolution as I don’t think that it is going to happen in the next few months.
- Organize and expand the recipes section of the blog so that it can be used as my virtual “cookbook”: I did this! And now I want to do it all over again. Sigh…such is he nature of a perfectionist. I am looking for the best mac recipe software program right now so I can put all my recipes in a consistent format for my own personal use and for my cookbook.
- Accelerate my progress towards “figuring out what I want to be when I grow up”: I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up but I am not just sitting around thinking and complaining about it anymore. I am taking every cooking class I can. I am writing a cookbook! I am reading more (about everything from cooking to how Congress works to orphans in Africa) and feeling my mind expand again. For the first time in my life I don’t have a plan for the future and it’s scary but exhilarating!
- Develop the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe: Done. Want to know my secrets?
- Allow myself and my family more down time: This has been the hardest resolution to keep, but the most satisfying one to experience. I’ve taken dozens of naps with the baby. I’ve curled up on the couch and watched movies with Thomas. Jeff and I even went on a few dates!
Time to see what I can do in 2010.
- Go places! I have lived in California for seventeen of my thirty-one years, yet I have never been to Yosemite or Death Valley. I want to visit both this year. While I know traveling can be energy intensive, we plan to travel as low key as possible: driving the Prius, camping, and cooking our own food. If I need to make sacrifices in our regular life to “trade” off the carbon usage of vacations, then we will. It is worth it to me and I know it is worth it for the kids to see what we are protecting. then so be it. We also likely have the opportunity to take a trip to Germany this summer due to a work commitment for me. While I know flying across the country and the Atlantic is an utter gorge of energy, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us and I don’t want to pass it up. We are planning to get the most bang for our buck, both in terms of money and energy and stay for a few weeks as well as visit France. Perhaps I am crazy to take a three and a half year old and a fifteen month old to Paris, but I am pretty sure we’ll all enjoy the ubiquitous pastry shops if nothing else.
- Bake a souffle: How can I have never made a souffle? Must remedy this situation.
- Line dry my laundry: I’ve been making excuses on this one for a long time – the air in Los Angeles, is too dirty, I don’t have the time, my towels will be stiff. But the truth is, I’ve never even tried. As one my favorite bloggers and role models, Sharon, recently wrote , “I think generally, using coal fired electricity to do something the air will do for you for free is overpriced and wasteful.” I can’t argue with that one so I this year I am going to make a concerted effort to dry my clothes using the power or the air and the sun.
- Be serious about writing my cookbook: Develop and test dozens of new recipes, put together a working title, outline, and draft chapters. Investigate publishing options.
- Live in the present: This is an extension of my resolution to allow myself more down time from last year. I have a tendency to plan to such a point that I begin to live in the future: discussing obsessively the day when I will have that perfect job, children who will sleep through the night, and a garden that produces all of our food. I need to remember that the future is uncertain, but the present is right here right now to enjoy. I started tonight by holding Henry long after he fell asleep just to feel the perfect weight of him in my arms.
- and edited to add one more…Stand up straight: I have been pregnant and/or nursing continuously since February 2006 – nearly four years! And it has taken a toll on my posture. No more. I used to be a dancer (and would like to be someday again). I know how to stand up straight and look good and I am going to do it.
What are your resolutions for 2010?
January 5th, 2010 at 11:26 am
You’ve inspired me. My resolution for 2010 is to record more of our life – written, audio, video – any media form will do. I meant to do this a couple years ago with my grandpa (who is 90 and helped build much of California’s infrastructure in the 1950’s as a construction worker) but lost focus. Any tips on how to develop a successful routine for said goal are appreciated.
January 6th, 2010 at 12:01 am
Gina: Air or outdoor drying of the wash, I do not think you ever saw the carousel looking cllothes line set up in my mom and dads house in New Jersey but my Dad and Mom were frugel and did not want to use the gas dryer and you have seen the cave of a basement at the house, so most of the late spring,summer and early fall we would dry the wash outdoors, clip everything with clothes pins to the lines and one of my jobs when I got home from school was to take the wash down and put it in the basket for my mom to fold later. Grandma and Grandpa Geigel also had a clothes line in the back yard the long one like two telephone poles with 5 lines to hang wash. Mom had to hand the clothes and take them down. As for the towels being rough, I always thought the air dried one while rough soaked up more water. I am glad you are slowing down a little and taking nmore time for yourself and Jeff and the boys.
I will be getting my Passport photo this week and then go to the Post office to get my passport so Mom and I will be ready to head off to Germany and France ( I still think the French are kind snotty and testy) . We will help with the boys and I will get a chance to see and ride some very cool trains over there. Yes the food and the deserts will be great.
We are ready to meet you in Yosemite and you can use our hotel room as a break from camping with the boys.
Some of my best memories was the trips we took with Mike Weiss and his my amd my Mom and we would tracle and stay at Waht now are called Bed and Breakfasts but then were just big homes than epople rented rooms out . We went all over the east coast and New England for many summers. I need to write down my recipes also while most of mine include meat there are some I can give you like my vegitatian 6 bean spicy chili, my arabriata sauce and my salsa and 4 cheese backed mac and cheese.
My only resolution is to lose weight and be more fit so I can be around for a long time with Thomas and Henry. I started Monday.
Hug the boys for me PAPA Dave
January 6th, 2010 at 1:42 am
Last year my resolution was to produce zero trash. Meaning that I would add nothing to the land fill. After a week of utter frustration I gave up. Although I would consider myself a true anti-consumer and I buy very little in the way of packaged goods, there are just some things that can not be reused or recycled; and that really bothers me. Zero trash might have been too lofty but I still think it should be a goal.
This year I have several resolutions. One is to get into better shape. While I wouldn’t say I am fat, I want to be proud of my body and feel comfortable at the beach. So my plan is to start running again and start of regular workout routine. I signed up for the Half-Marathon at the end of February and I have a running schedule.
Two is to get our compost pile is great shape. While I produce quite a bit of compost now, I could do better. This might lower my trash impact a bit by removing some compostable material from the garage bin.
Three is to LOWER my trash impact, by “REDUCE, REUSE, & RECYCLE”, and “REPAIR”. I already started this one. Our fire place’s log rack has always had wobbly legs. This past week I decided to buy a new one. I went to Target, bought one, put it in the fire place, and placed the old one next to the trash can. Because the garbage truck doesn’t come until tomorrow I have been seeing the old rack sitting by the trash can for the last couple of days. I realized that not only could I fix the wobbly legs (with a $2 purchase from OSH), but that it is quite a sturdy rack, far better than the Target version. So we returned new one, and I repaired the old one. And I am happy to report that we had I nice fire tonight using the repaired fire place rack.
January 7th, 2010 at 1:58 am
Man. They are all great. But I REALLY like the live in the present one. I’ve spent the better part of the last two days longing for the more sleep days. ‘course, with two sick, teething babies, my nerves are just the teensiest bit frayed.
January 9th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
OK, Here goes. My resolutions for 2010
1. Be happy. Sounds easy, but is really quite difficult for me. I don’t like getting older, I worry too much about the future, and feel sad about the past. So, I need to learn that I can’t change the things I have done in the past, only what I do from now on!
2. Keep my mouth shut. I sometimes talk too much. Everyone has a right to their opinion, so I need to listen more. I can stand up for my beliefs better with my actions, than my words.
3. Love everyone more. If you can’t say anything nice about someone, don’t say anything at all. An old saying, but it still stands true.
4. Work on one of my craft projects everyday. Even if it is only for half an hour.
5.Say a prayer everyday, and be thankful for what I have. I have really been so very fortunate, and I have so much.
6.Work on eatting better and getting a little exercize every day. That will be a tough one for me.
7. SMILE!!!!!!!
February 18th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
I try to limit my resolutions so I can also limit my disappointments in missing them!
Here’s three:
1 Eat at more different restaurants.
2 Meet more friends, deepen other relationships.
3 Resolve one big problem in my life.
I’ll be happy with that.