Breaking my silence: some progress, some regression ...

Okay, so, let me get my excuses in first: the last few weeks have been a bit of a logistical nightmare - I've been living an itinerant lifestyle lately, house sitting for a week, lodging somewhere else for a few weeks and then moving on again. I'm about to regain control though - this weekend Tara and I are moving into a house in Headington :)

Despite the disruption, I've been enjoying triathlon training again (resolution 1) - I've been swimming regularly with the club and running at least once a week. Things I had forgotten about swimming: it really does make you smell of chlorine all day and it IS bad for you hair ... oh well.

Resolution 2 (study harder) is something of a disaster at the moment though! I've been doing the bare minimum on my course. I got my Christmas exam results back yesterday - I passed (much to Tara's relief!) but I could certainly do with a bit more motivation for the rest of the course!

Ironically, my self-study course of reading and studying Capital Volume 1 (Res. 3) has been going really well. So far I'm finding it to be a wonderful book - it's not quite like anything I've read before. I'm also enjoying David Harvey's online lectures on Capital rather more than I am enjoying real life lectures on Equity and Trusts ... be strong Phil!

Ooof. Pas beaucoup de progres.

I think the fact I have to cut and paste the resolutions is a sign that I have not really internalised them yet, let along implemented them.

1. If you are going to do it/work/go, just do it/work/go. Not gone yet. Have ruminated long and hard till my head (still) hurts. And realised the way to go is not to open up as many options as you can so that choices are hard, nigh on impossible. Focus on the goal and just go. So I will. Soon. Honest.

2. Spend less. Going quite well. Only went to evil supermarket twice in the last 5 weeks. Am taking home made lunches. Refused outings to the divine but dastardly-for-the-budget Japanese restaurant.

3. Get out and exercise to feel good, energetic, productive and healthy. I walked 6 km on Sunday and this evening. Not bad. Now got to keep it up and work up to actually burning some calories by running. Can't overdo it.

4. Get out into the fresh air and out of urban life. Have a plan for a weekend away next weekend on the beach and walking. If we leave now, we might just make it there through the traffic.

5. Change my job. See 1.

6. Send more personal, thoughtful gifts to important god children, family and friends. Does receiving them from them count?

7. Improve my mind. I choose to read jeune afrique. I immersed myself in Eat Pray Love (ladies will know what I am talking about) to think about my balance. But this one needs work. Less facebook is the anti version of this. And if my mind was improved I'd know the word I am searching for for this...

8. Visit India and Nepal. Negative progress as Margie heading back to Dakar. Just India would be a very very good start.

9. Do something to actively campaign on issues that I believe in. I signed petitions against the war in Gaza. As should everyone in their right mind.

10. Life is too short: have fun and be happy. According to the aforementioned ladies book, Balinese meditation involves smiling so much that you are 'smiling in your liver'. I might have made it to my oesophagus. A way to go yet...

Stay strong, people!

I've noticed that previous years' posts start dwindling precipitously in number beginning in February. It has been nearly 2 weeks since the last post. Stay resolved, fellow resolvers!

Good progress on the first 3, terrible progress on the rest:

1) Cooking/eating a meal with someone else > once a week has proven very easy, especially after forcibly inserting myself into the Zink crew.

2) Eating more sustainably has also proven relatively easy due to strict attendance at the farmers' market and visits to the fish market. Grass-fed beef: delicious. I even asked about tripe (in accordance with an exciting dinner party plan) and they'll have it in a few weeks! Expensive, though (a whole happy organic chicken runs $13, as opposed to $6 for a cage-free), but that encourages me to cut back a bit on meat.

3) We tore up some space in Zink's backyard last weekend and planted a bunch of things. No "trellises and beds and the like", but still very exciting! Hopefully the seeds haven't washed away in the recent rain. I also got around to planting up all the pots I own with various goodies. Grow, my pretties!

4) Umm. I haven't cleaned anything. I swept my kitchen floor a few days ago, but that's the extent of it. Going to have to get to work on this one.

5) No trips out of SB-proper. Should organize a wine-tasting trip...

6) No work on the bike either. Darn.

7) Err, 10% success on this one. Played some sonatas with a friend, who suggested we could eventually work on one to play for his teacher. If his teacher drops a quarter on accident and I donate it to charity, I think that should count.

8) Some of the Crossfit standards have got to be impossible for a 145 lb. 5'10'' short-legged person. A 6k row in 21:45? 200 55 lb. snatches in 10 minutes!? Not happening. Maybe I'll revise this resolution...