Tara's 2009

hello everyone!
so this is my first ever blog- very exciting!!
so here is my plan of things to do in 2009! (wow is it really 2009?)

1) find a job in Oxford - any job will do really, I've been looking for about 3 months now and my standards are dropping!

2) do exercise at least 3x a week - here in Barcelona its all too easy to go for a nice rioja and some tapas instead of the gym!

3) wear more fasionable clothes - this means EVERY DAY!! (ha ha this might be the hardest one for me!) it will involve wearing fewer clothes that are over 10 years old/that I bought when I was an undergraduate - and might involve me having to go shopping every now and then (Ahhhhhhh!).

4) cook a proper meal at least once a week - and no, pasta and sauce does not count Tara!

5) MARRY PHIL ON 25TH JULY! WOO HOO! (Phil K by the way!)

6) get pregnant!! (haha phil did you know this - don't worry it can be towards the end of the year phil!!) OR get a dog/cat as a substitute if that fails... (preferably a dog) actually that should be AND get a dog...

7) play my guitar rubbishly more often- more than once a month.


OK that should be enough for now!
I'll keep you posted on how its going!

Phil K's 2009 Resolutions

Hello All,

Thank you Phil for inviting me to contribute to this - it looks fun and I could definitely do with some gentle resolution-keeping encouragement!

My New Year's resolutions for 2009 seem to consist mostly of things I used to manage to do without fuss, or are things that I really should have done by now, or are things I should never have stopped doing! Here they are:

1. Start triathlon training again. This essentially stopped when I moved to Barcelona in April 2007, and ever since I have felt that something has been missing from my life. When I'm training, I have more energy, seem to have more time, I'm less stressed, and I'm basically healthier and happier. The hardest part will be starting up - dragging myself out of bed at 6am to go to the pool in the morning or going for a run is tough until it becomes routine. Rejoining the Oxford Triathlon Club will help. And you all have to help as well!

2. Study a bit harder but not after 7pm. Since finishing my thesis I've taken life a bit too easy. My law conversion course is going well enough (he says two weeks before his first exams ...), but if I can reinvigorate my work-ethic it'll go better. This one will happen more easily once resolution number one is in place. The course is hardly thrilling in terms of content but its not actually that hard - as long as one works consistently. Therefore my aim is to treat my course as much like a 9 - 5 job as possible.

3. Read Vol. 1 of Marx's "Capital" in its entirety alongside watching David Harvey's online lecture series (davidharvey.org if you're interested). This is one of the ones that I really should have done before now.

4. Learn how to build my own bicycle wheels and build some for Tara's road bike. I have a willing and ideal tutor - my uncle Dennis. For someone with a self-professed love affair with the bicycle, my mechanic's skills are not up to much. Wheel building seems to me to be a soulful and rewarding enterprise so I'm especially excited about this one. I also want to build up a bicycle frame from scratch in 2009 as an educational experience.

5. Start revising my thesis with a view to getting it published. This one will have to wait until the summer however.

6. And, finally: make my own lunch instead of eating unhealthy and overpriced sandwiches at the university canteen.

In summary:

1. Take up triathlon training again.
2. Study harder and smarter.
3. Read Volume 1 of Marx's "Capital" with David Harvey.
4. Bicycle wheel building.
5. Thesis.
6. Make my own lunch.

And what with getting married in July, that should be enough self-improvement for one year!

Resurrection

Last time we posted anything to this blog I'm pretty sure we weren't on facebook, and if I had to guess the reason why 2008 had no posts whatsoever I'd say it was because we spent all our interweb time on that instead. It could also, of course, be because this is a stupid idea that wasn't really working. Hmm. Anyway, I think it's worth us giving the one year plan another go - I've opened up the comments to anyone, and plan on linking new posts to facebook in search of new Policers (and also Resolvers). Let's see how it goes - if you're interested in joining in, let me know and I'll make you a contributor. Pens and paper ready! Looking forward to seeing some posts on New Year's Day.