are you there, god? it's me, maven.

you love the feeling.

2007-01-02 / 9:34 p.m.

I know, I know. Year-end wrap-up is overdue, and it's high time I posted some tales of NYE shenanigans and resolutions for the rosy future. But I don't want to do wrap-up, because is that not what I do every time I post to this blog? Also, we didn't do anything much on NYE because the snow finally arrived that night, wetly. We met friends for delicious Chinese food and then did the mental algebra necessary to determine that shitty road conditions and drunk dickheads trying to go places in their cars do not a festive evening make. Fine with me. Some nights have been a little TOO festive lately, if you know what I mean, and I am all about keeping it mellow.

As for resolutions, 2007 is going to be Cheeto-free. I reserve the right to reneg on this one if I get knocked up and find myself with an insatiable desire for chemical cheez, but aside from that eventuality I figure it's a totally do-able resolution. I do have some other goals, and they are mostly financial and possibly career-related, but I would say those are boring and private, as well as ongoing and not so much related to the flipping of the calendar. For one wrap-up item I can tell you that I made as much money as I aspired to make this year (witness!), and for one goal item I can tell you that I aspire to make more this year. You know, so as to continue my slow ascent to full adulthood.

For another wrap-up item, I can tell you that my application for health insurance was approved for coverage starting January 1, and for another goal item I came up with this: I want to make enough from eBay sales every month to pay for my health insurance. That seems as do-able as giving up Cheetos for a twelvemonth, and it boasts the sweet sweet side benefit of further justifying my weekly thrift-store trips. Everybody wins!

The Brit and I have some get-in-shape-girl! aspirations, too, just like everybody else. What, you don't remember Get In Shape, Girl? Allow me to "jog" your memory:

So anyway, about the exercise. We are frighteningly good at sitting around, but the cozy evenings on the couch are starting to make me a little stir-crazy, and I think this is a good kick in the pants. It's also been many years since I paid for a gym membership, and the expenditure is a great motivator for me. I don't know if we'll be rocking the rhythmic gymnastics, but you know what, if there was a ribbon class I would totally take it.

Or belly dancing! That's worth adding to the year-end wrap-up: on Saturday I went to a friend's baby shower, and the surprise guest was a belly dancer. There was an awkward one minute when we were all trying to figure out where to look, because no one was lit enough to start whooping immediately, and the room was small enough that her goods were all up in our faces. It was the middle of the afternoon, and we were all kind of like "good job!" But we got over that quickly. Especially when she said "Your turn!" and handed out the scarves and finger cymbals. Much jelly was shaken, and let me tell you, a woman belly dancing at 38 weeks is pretty much the cutest thing ever.

Finally, I bring you New Year's greetings from the sad clown who is my oldest nephew:

The little man received tails for Christmas, which he wore to New Year's Day brunch. This is the pose he struck when I pulled out the camera. He is very into styling photographs lately. He asked to take a picture of me and instructed me to do a "verrrry fancy pose. No, fancier. Okay, that's good." Click. I'm not showing it here, but only because it was overexposed.