TMI Questions: Happy New Year 2014!

Apologies.  I am way behind with this blogging thing.   

But I have a great excuse (he’s a cutie).

As happy as I am, never have I been so happy to see a year go.  2013 was one for the record books.  Thank goodness it all turned around in the fourth quarter.  (P.S.: It has a happy ending!)

Talk about getting it in just under the wire!

TMI QUESTIONS:

Questions designed to reveal Too Much Information

Link: http://tmiquestions.blogspot.com/

TMI Questions: Happy New Year 2014!

No resolutions! Just your best hopes and wishes for 2014!

Entertainment

Seeing a lot more live shows, as in music, is on my ‘To Do’ list this year.  I simply wasn’t getting out enough and now that I have emancipated myself I feel an obligation to get out there and see what I was missing.  Since I like most music, I am pretty open to everything.

I am going to see Lady Gaga on Tuesday, May 20^th.  They are probably lousy seats, but at least I get bragging rights.  Should be a hoot.

Hoping to play more music – as in, sit down and tickle the ivories.  And play that damn guitar, too. 

I moved my piano last month (it was torturous) and have been pecking away at the thing since.  Can’t believe how rusty I am, but then, technique-wise I was never a great player to begin with.  More of a plodder than a player.  But my heart is in the right place…

Currently detoxing from network television; as in not watching any new shows.  I tend to catch ancient reruns on those funky air channels or catch up on things via Netflix or DVDs.  It’s good – this ‘getting out of touch’.  My life was filled with so much junk. It’s nice to fine tune my viewing.  I’d like to become a more discriminate viewer. 

Currently watching a lot of ‘French and Saunders’, a truly amazing comedy series starring two great dames, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.  Clever girls.  They make me laugh way too loud. 

But back to getting out; off the couch and out of the house!  The Walker Art Center – free on Thursday evenings.  I think it will make for a series of great date nights. 

And, yes… dating.  Me!  Dating!

I’m loving it. 

My beau has many interests.  We have a lot of similar tastes.  At this point I like the idea of formalized dating, as I have a tendency to ease into the nesting phase way too early in a relationship.  Not that I have any doubts, but I need to be fair to him and avoid smothering him.  You know… leave the lad a few air holes.  (And an escape pod, in case of emergency – shades of Sigourney Weaver).  Ack!

Besides… dating (as in going out and doing things) is a great way to learn about someone.  And that is where we are at – still learning about one another.

So far, I really like everything I’ve learned.

Hungry and eager for more. 

More learnin’.

Politically

Remaining aware is my main focus.  As of late I’ve been remiss about checking in with all the news sites I normally read.  I realize many of these sites have a bias in their reporting (liberal), but it makes me feel in touch (and a tad privileged). 

I am not a politically active person.  I don’t volunteer. 

I do vote, though.  And my vote is an educated one.

I hope Hillary Clinton runs for President.

I hope the separation of church and state is actually cited more often as a means of taking the piss out of all that Bible / Pseudo-Christian bullshit.

I hope that the world starts evolving re: gay rights and gay marriage.  In that vein, I would love to see an end to that whole ‘it’s a choice’ nonsense.  This week, Evander Holyfield said some stupid stuff.  And, while I believe we are all used to such ignorance, I think it’s time we stop getting used to ‘getting used to’. 

I’m glad people and the media call these druids on their inability to reason. 

Yes, the ‘Duck Dynasty’ thing took an unfortunate U-turn, but then, I have never had a desire to watch that piece of claptrap to begin with, and therefore what an ignorant, self-aggrandizing hillbilly has to say hardly matters in the world.

Except that it does.

Which makes me sad for the world.

Globally

Again, other than staying aware, I am not sure what I can do.

I recycle everything I can, eat responsibly and avoid wasting things unnecessarily. So, I am as kind to the planet as I can be.  My car is kept in tip-top condition, too. While I am not leaving this planet to anyone, I do my best to minimize my impact on it.

I hope that poverty, instead of war, becomes the focus of world leaders.

I hope women world-wide are given the right to choose and be free of male oppression.

I hope the new pope walks the walk! 

And I hope Russia gets its ass (fucked hard and left dripping) handed to them at the Olympics.

Personally

I hope I am able to restore a sense of harmony to my life, while honoring all the commitments I have made.

I plan on continuing with my change of diet: Pescetarianism (fish / no meat).

I plan on continuing my work out regime (which has become more of a seven-days-a-week kind of thing).  Currently getting between seven and eight work outs each week.

I am probably joining the Y this year, in addition to my current gym.

Hoping to increase the amount of weight I lift. 

This all is primarily due to working out with my beau.  He has shown me the folly of working one muscle group for a single hour.  Not only was I fatiguing my muscles, but, in an effort to avoid injury, I was limiting the amount of weight I thought I could safely/successfully manage. 

Now I alternate days where I concentrate on upper or lower body.  Best work outs are on Sundays (longer sessions with lots of coaching).  A seventy-five minute spin class and a seventy-five minute Zumba class (with my former instructor) provide two sessions of cardio.  I plan to stay the course.

After donating 24 grocery bags full of stuff (12 of clothing) on Xmas eve, I have decided to continue unburdening my life by getting rid of clothing and items I have no use for.  I’m not sure how far I am willing to take that, but I do like the idea of living minimally.   Having used stuff as either a distraction or as a buffer from the world in the past, I’ve lost all interest in collecting.  I wish the collectibles market was healthier, because I would love to recoup some of the money I wasted stockpiling things that caught my passing fancy.

And, personally… I hope to remain grateful. 

I don’t know if I have many second chances left at this point.  So I plan on honoring and appreciating this one for the rest of my days.

I’m so happy I woke up.

Friends

I will try to spend at least one four-hour period with each one of my friends.  As of August, I’ve started going to happy hour at least once a month with a couple of dear friends who knew me in the 80’s. 

I have my friends in St. Paul that I need to honor, likewise. 

There are a few new people in my life – thanks to my beau.  That has been a nice challenge.  My social anxiety seems to have dissipated to such a degree as that kind of thing doesn’t make me break out into a sweat like it used to.  In fact, I find it fun.  Small talk is not a skill I thought I possessed, but, hey, I seem to be able to hold my own.

Transforming my former partner into my best friend has been rife with surprises.  Fortunately, we’ve weathered the worst of it and the transition continues to go smoothly.  On a personal level, I owe him so much.  We have eighteen years of emotional history together and I plan on honoring that. 

Though the definition of our relationship has changed significantly, my commitment to him has not.  He’s part of my family and always will be.

Family

Honoring my commitment to my mother and father is very important to me.  But recently I’ve learned that if I’m not happy, I’m of very little use to anyone.  And it’s important that my mother and family members realize that and respect my choices. 

My recent separation from my partner/husband of seventeen years threw everyone for a loop.  It was rather unexpected – out of the blue.  I know they are all waiting for me to throw everything up in the air and run – because they told me exactly that!

But that’s not going to happen. 

As of now, everything I want is here. 

I’m not going anywhere.  And I fully realize it may take everybody some time before they believe that.

I do hope they come to trust and believe in me again.

Suggestions

Writing: To continue to blog.  Not sure what I will write about, but that will make itself apparent eventually.  I may take up the ‘Acquired Tastes’ series again.  We’ll see.

I do need to finish my second novel.  It’s halfway done.  I left it there at the beginning of summer and have yet to fully pick it back up.  That will happen this week, I think.  Who knows, maybe that will rekindle my desire to blog, as well.

Financial Solvency: I have a budget for the year.  Given my tendency to whip out that credit card without a moment’s hesitation, I do plan on reining in my spending this year.  It will be tough, but fair. The reward in the end will be that I will get to travel again, something I sorely miss. I actually enjoy being in control of my own money.

I just wish I had more of it.

Bonus

Sexually

Hmmm… I think I prefer the term ‘Romantically’, instead.

I’ve been in a monogamous relationship (I believe) since 10/26/13.  It’s everything I’d every hoped for, sexually.  Emotionally, too.

That’s a huge relief: to know that what I always wanted actually exists. It makes me think that the other things I have always wanted are possible, too.

I have been working through a whole bunch of dysfunctional thinking since I’ve stopped being a total slut. I’m still working through some of that.  Nice thing is, I’ve found someone who is patient and kind. 

So, I feel like I have a fighting chance, here.

In closing:

If 2013 was like repeatedly taking a shovel to the head…

…then I hope 2014 holds:

Hundreds of nap times.

Thousands of opportunities to hold hands.

And a million kisses.

For, I swear, every time?

I heal a bit more.

Wishing all of you the very best in 2014.

Cheers, dears!