New Year's post the first

I'm drinking my first! coffee! of 2009! at my desk, scanning emails, looking at blogs, like I will presumably do most mornings this year, and looking over the list of stuff I want to do in 2009 that I put together while I was over at Liz's last night. It's not my best year-ahead list of all time (it seems comprised mostly of things that I want to eat) but there's other good stuff tucked in between 'noodle soup place on Eldridge' and 'paella @ Spanish Benevolent Society restaurant'*: play more Scrabble, go to Chicago, make homemade gin, update the shop at least once a month, watch The Sound of Music w/EP, who has never seen it...

I didn't have a horrible 2008, but I did come to the end of it feeling a little hollowed out and battered about and in need of some coddling, which actually is not the worst position to be in when considering the future. I think resolutions should involve coming up with specific ways to add depth and richness and fun to your life, the kind of things you hear about other people doing and think, 'hey, that sounds like a blast/extremely tasty/a fascinating use of one's time.' Does anyone want to hear that I went to the gym three times this week? No. (and I so didn't.) Does anyone want to hear about me shooting a gun for the first time ever? I suspect yes. My friend Cathy used to make the same single resolution every year: drink more. That's the kind of thinking I can get behind.
I do make more vague resolutions also. Be kind is the most important one, but also: seek beauty in small things, never ignore a generous impulse, prioritize according to real values, not laziness or convenience, say yes to new experiences whenever possible... but those don't go on the list. They're just for keeping in mind and never get crossed off. I suppose they're less resolutions and more like commandments, really. So never mind.
Aside from the year-to-come list, my New Year's Day tradition is to do a little bit of every activity that I hope will play a large part in the coming year:

• Do a little bit of work on every project in current rotation
• Start a new one (ideally, I would also finish one, but I'm not sure that's in the cards; I may be able to finish a part of one).
• I've been invited out for hoppin' john, so don't have to make my own this year.
• That also takes care of the 'spend time with people I want to see more of' part of the program.
• I always like to walk over a bridge on the first of the year; I live a block away from one, so this will be kind of embarrassingly easy this year.
• I'll do a little work on the book, which I'd like to finish in 09.
• I'll play around with my neato new camera.
• I'll both eat some leftovers and cook something new.
• I'll make some phone calls to people I don't see enough.
• Read.
  

I'll check back in at the end of the day to see how I fared.

*sort of cheating, since I already have plans to go there Friday night, but I've been meaning to eat there for years and it deserves to get crossed off a list.