Virtue

So it's a new year and I haven't been on this site since October of last year. That's nearly three months, if I have my math right (you never know).

I am trying my best to start my year off right. Last year didn't end so well - I had a few typical Gennyland mishaps towards the end there. I got the stomach flu in early December, was shitfaced sillybuggers at work for a few weeks, then once I started my three-week vacation, I got a cold and another stomach bug all over again. I was worn out - mentally, physically, emotionally, the whole lot. I also had a silly accident.

We've had a lot of trouble with ice dams on our roof. The insulation is ridiculous in our house - the house was designed for California - so every year it's a new battle with the ice dams. For those of you in more southern climes, an ice dam is.... well it's just bad. Google it. Anyway, I had a curtain of icicles (all of a sudden I don't have the first clue how to spell that) hanging down and went outside to wage war on the ice. I had the intention of hammering off the ice dams, but first I started knocking off the icicles with my snow shovel. While looking up and moving along sideways, I hit the one spot where we have a 4" wide gap from a missing board that we'd meant to fix, and my leg went through. To the thigh. My legs, for those of you who don't know me in person, are not 4" wide. More like 5, 51/2. I was stuck - I couldn't pull it back out. I thought I might have to chew myself out, coyote-style. There was nobody around to hear me holler for help, as it was the middle of a weekday and everyone was at work. I was stuck there for a half hour, until I knocked the hammer from off of the barbecue and used it to chip the deck away enough to slide my leg out. Now it looks like someone tried to eat the deck, but we temporarily replaced the board so at least it's safe. r.

I went inside and checked it out - the leg was black and blue and shaped like the deck. I wailed, standing there in my underpants, and spent the rest of the afternoon lying on the futon watching "Elf" with a bag of frozen peas on my leg. When hubby got home, he wondered why there were peas all over the house, because apparently I'd been too shocked to realize that the bag was open. I was beyond caring. When my mom called, it was a pivotal scene in the movie (hell! When Santa's sleigh takes off because everyone sings! Damn that gets me every time!) and I was a bit....teary.... and I said (voice catching, unable to hide the crying): "I h-h-had a acci-d-dent!" My mother, in her infinite patience, said "well I'm not going to come over if you're just sitting there blubbering over some stupid movie" or something equally sympathetic. Hmph.

So injuries and illness aside, 2007 is now down the toilet and I get to start over anew. Only I don't feel super refreshed, so I'm working on that currently. I have all good intentions for the beginning of the year, and thought I might make a list so as to impress you with all of the virtuous things I've done so far in 2008:

- Cut off my hair. OK that's not so much virtuous as refreshing, but I feel like a better person.
- Had a massage (nice in the moment, but no real lasting effects).
- Started a pottery class
- Started a new semi-diet
- Started menu planning for the entire week on the weekends. So far so good.
- Been to the dentist, had a filling taken care of.
- Made all new doctors' appointments, for my fertility and my foot (bunions are a bitch).
- Skiied. Twice.
- Been ice fishing - don't laugh it's good exercise.
- Seriously considered joining the gym at work.
- Bought tickets to the theatah, and even made plans to go with (gasp!) friends! Other humans! Who aren't even related to me!
- Had a dinner party. Made duck for the first time.
- Have begun to stop working abruptly at 5 p.m.
- Booked a vacation for myself and hubby to visit friends in B.C.
- Upping my vegetable intake.

I may even consider taking up flossing. I don't know - it's still under consideration. Other things I need to work on (but am not yet committing to) include: talking to friends on the phone, going to see movies at a theatre, not procrastinating at work, and being nice to my husband. When summertime comes I will have a whole new list of things to work on.

I also set to work on a plan for the future/further renovations of our house. See? I am all about planning. My plans usually go immediately off the rails, but you've gotta start somewhere.

So, here's to 2008. May it truly be a Happy new year, because if it isn't, I'm going to want my money back.