What's Going To Be Different In 2008

Here are a few things, personal and otherwise, that will change this year:

1) I'm going to do better at following through on promises. Like the promised, but yet to be posted, review of Christmas on Jefferson Street, complete with joyful photos. Yes, it's coming, here in the next few days.

Also, the promised blog refocus and overhaul. One of these days.

2) I will stop putting off my South Roanoke Circle column until two days before the deadline. I have a whole month, so why am I always scurrying to finish it?

3) I'm going to work on writing more regularly, with more variety and experimentation; also, to market my writing more aggressively.

4) I'm going to lose 20 pounds. I need to lose 40, but I'm going for incremental milestones along the way.

5) I need to call my mother more often. God knows she won't call me. I have no idea why, but she just doesn't.

6) The attic must be cleaned out, and a big whopping yard sale will happen this spring on Jefferson Street. For you locals, I'll give you a rundown of our sale inventory as the date approaches.

7) Paperwork purge. I have a filing cabinet that contains every paycheck stub and bank statement I've received since 1983. What's the point? Why do I keep this stuff?

8) My son and I are going to create an ass-kickin' pinewood derby car. This year is our first entry in this event, and we are going to win it all, baby!

9) I'm not going to have any more hangovers. I've slept away one too many weekend mornings lately as a result of holiday revelry. I'm getting too old for all that. Besides, who wants to feel lousy on an already too brief weekend?

10) I'll try to project a more positive attitude. Say "yes" more than "no"; enjoy the moment; stop fretting the future and lamenting the past; be nicer to my wife. All these things are wrapped in a bundle of anxiety of which I'd like to rid myself.

11) Encourage my boy in the things he likes to do.

12) Learn (again) to play the guitar.

13) Pay more attention to local events. Take advantage of seeing live music, art events, and other festivals. There's plenty to do around here if you look around. Maybe I'll even suggest something to my wife and friends. Usually, I'm just going with the flow instead of organizing anything myself.

14) Hike weekly (if the weather is good).

15) Visit friends in DC and northern Virginia, at least once.

16) And finally, I'm going to patiently suffer the exhausting election campaigns, knowing in the end that we finally get to elect a new president. That's got to be a good thing.

Let's see how it goes.