Ringing In the New Year With Inexplicable Bruises
Posted by Moose on December 31st, 2008. Filed under: Holidays.Am I the only person at work today? I arrived in record time (meaning, only five minutes late, rather than ten or twenty) because I plowed straight across the street without having to wait for the hordes of commuters to file onto the freeway while clutching steering wheels with whitened knuckles and looking vicious. It was chill and foggy as I walked, and I tried to reset my brain to I Have a Job And a Nice Income In This Time Of Economic Stress And Strife So I Shouldn’t Be Wishing I Could Sit At Home In Front Of The Fire With Boozy Hot Chocolate. It didn’t work. What did work was remembering that I don’t have a fireplace. Or any booze.
Got home from Tahoe on Sunday night with ski clothes covered in a fine spackle of dog hair and inexplicable bruises on my shins. I managed to avoid slamming face-first into the waiting arms of an amorous pine tree (this time), but I did raise my ski poles and yell “I’M QUEEN OF THE BUNNY SLOPE!” as I careened toward the lift. Six-year-olds laughed as they whizzed past. Punks.
Tahoe was just what I needed. Getting the hell out of dodge, spending time with friends, exercising in actual fresh air – all those things I know I need but never make enough time for, often in favor of laundry and going to work so I don’t get fired. Which are also important – the only thing worse than being known as the woman whose dirty socks smothered her cat is being known as the HOMELESS woman whose dirty socks smothered her cat. So laundry and rent-paying employment are always nice.
But so is this:
View from the front window in Tahoe. Goes well with coffee.
I think I’ll sit and stare at this picture until it’s time to go home and prepare for the new year. A new year which will be spent on my happiness, something I’ve always avoided because it feels selfish somehow. But how can you expect to offer anyone else happiness if you aren’t giving it to yourself? GOOD QUESTION, MOOSE. How thoughtful and possibly pompous of you. But I think it’s a sound theory. So my New Year’s resolution is to take care of all my own needs. Including stocking up on bandages and Tylenol for my next trip to Tahoe.
For now, I’ll be preparing for the new year with lists and color-coded excel spreadsheets and the many bottles of champagne that keep mysteriously multiplying in my fridge. How about you, my friends? What are your grand plans for 2009?
December 31st, 2008 at 10:47 am
That’s a good resolution! I may have to steal it! I think I need to be more selfish in 2009. (I think that’s been a resolution before, one I have had a major fail on. But try, try again, right?)
My other grand plans for 2009 are to buy a condo. GASP! Adulthood, here I come! Bout time, since I’m going to be 32 in 2009. DOUBLE GASP!
Happy New Year Moose! I’m happy we became blog friends in 2008! DO NOT TRY TO DENY IT!
December 31st, 2008 at 11:30 am
You are not the only person at work today. Sigh.
I don’t feel like anything really happened in 2008 (except maybe in these last couple months) so my resolution for 2009 is to make sure I don’t feel the same way at the end of 2009! Things will happen, oh yes they will. Dammit.
December 31st, 2008 at 11:32 am
Um, to clarify, I mean happened to me, like personally. Obviously big things happened in the world. I don’t live under a rock or anything.
December 31st, 2008 at 11:55 am
I’m at work too. And we have to stay until 6.
I haven’t put together my full list of resolutions yet, but they tend to be of the very clear and direct, cross-off-a-list-able variety: finish crocheting that blanket, get someone to take me fishing at least once, eat paella at the restaurant in the basement of the Spanish Benevolent Society…
My very favorite resolution, though, is the one my friend Cathy makes every single year: drink more.
December 31st, 2008 at 12:24 pm
My grand plans are: MORE KNITTING TIME WITH MOOSE AND JEMIMA!!! That’s a good one, no?
And your Tahoe trip sounds amazing! You’re right, we totally need to go again this winter!
December 31st, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Well, I’m getting awfully domestic now that my BF lives with me..and we’re continuing on that theme by adopting a rescued Pekingese! We’ll get her on the 10th.
I’m going to try to eat healthier and do more yoga, but this year I’m cutting myself some slack with the resolutions. Like you, I’m focusing on being happy!
I have a good feeling about it! We’re going to have fabulous 2009s!
December 31st, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Also? I’m at work today too, until 3 pm EST when I head to Charleston.
And obviously, I’m working very hard, no?
December 31st, 2008 at 1:34 pm
I’m impressed you came back at all….that view is amazing!
Cheers to dog hair on your clothes and mysterious bruises of fun. Happy New Year!
December 31st, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Yes, 2009 will the year I become a mom, but it’s also going to be the year I finally accept and embrace this body of mine and accept that not everyone will or must like me in order for my life to be full and complete. And it’s going to be the year I get to know champagne again. Thank god.
December 31st, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Champagne, you say? I’ll be right over.
December 31st, 2008 at 3:19 pm
I have a resolution to get you to Portland before 2009 is over. This plan may involve a bit of birthday-time guilt tripping (my birthday is in June; thus, I am giving you fair guilt-trip warning) and tempting you with black licorice. It also involves not falling UP the stairs like I did just two nights ago. Hi, I’m super coordinated.
December 31st, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I’m at work as well. After work, I’m going home so that my wife can continue to be mad and yell at me.
December 31st, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Happy New Year, Moosie Girl! My resolution is simple: use limbs for activities other than transporting self to fridge.
January 4th, 2009 at 10:46 am
One of my resolutions is to spend more time with my delightful neice!
January 5th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
That photo is definitely desktop-worthy. I had to work on December 31, too, but since I work at home that made it a lot nicer. And boozier.
Happy 2009!
January 5th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
View is amazing! I’ve been learning to be happy this past year and it’s been hard to change the mindset but makes 2009 see much better already! I’m excited to see how it looks for you too! one of my resolutions is to cook more…i’m going to have to have the Lincoln crew down to my place sometime (finally!) this year and cook!
January 5th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
I love ski trips as long as I am not skiing! (because that is me, faced with tree). The photo looks lovely!!! I love Tahoe, regardless of non-skiing. Happy New Year! I am working on the happy thing too. It can always be worked on, especially in the midst of winter.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Hi Moose! Happy New Year! I’m coming out of my usual lurk to let you know I nominated you for a I Heart Your Blog award. If you stop by my blog, you can copy the photo/logo and paste it on your blog if you want.
Here’s to a great 2009!