if you're happy and you know it, make a list (1)

Happy new year, pals. I trust everyone enjoyed a good holiday season. Only 353 days until we get to celebrate Christmas again! I might need 329 of those to recover from the aftermath of my job, where the spirit of the season was lost on shoppers in the waning days. If you need me, I'm huddled up on the floor between science fiction and romance, muttering to myself.

We chose to keep Christ - and a few other, far less kind words - in Christmas by paying a mechanic more than $600 to replace the rear brakes on my 11 year old used minivan two days after the holiday. Hey kids, you weren't too attached to any of those presents yet, were you? I've still got the receipts right here in my shaking hands!

Good times.

I don't normally do this, but I decided to make some resolutions this year. Are we still talking about our New Year's resolutions? I mean, it's January 6th already. Most of these things, like the rear brakes on my 11 year old used minivan (bitter), have been broken by now, right? I think that tiny pile of candy wrappers on my kitchen counter already today is a pretty good indication I have a greasy (they were miniature peanut butter cups) grip on my goals.

One of the many resolutions I made for 2012 is to think of two things every day that have made me happy in that 24 hour period and keep track of them. I know. It's sort of cheesy, but it gets even more so. I'm tracking my list in a journal I got from Oprah. Seriously. Oprah sent me a journal. For free. Because we're good pals and she knows I have a massive credit card bill looming ahead of me. I've decided to do this because, well, I need the reminder. I need to do this much. I can go through a 24-hour period and not notice even the tiniest bit of good. In the spirit of sharing my cheese (a waxy, generic slice of American), I thought I'd post my list on Fridays. Does that make you happy? Good. Start your own list! In no particular order, here's mine for the week:

• the way my youngest son, who will be 10 in a few days, still sounds like such a little boy on the telephone
• the Mike and Tom Eat Snacks podcast
• the soundtrack to the movie "Drive"
• taking my dog for a walk by myself at night and peering into neighboring houses (sidebar - people of my community, it is time to take your Christmas trees down!)
• making a lasagna from scratch (it was delicious)
• how much my boys talk when it's just the three of us seated around the dinner table at night
• coffee dates that turn into lunch dates with my friend Monica
• my friend Monica
• fortune cookie fortunes
• writing with pencil
• people who genuinely thank me for helping them, then stop me later to thank me again
• that it's January (68 degrees yesterday!) and we've not yet had a measurable snow so far this winter

Pretty exciting stuff, right? I know! Just think, you have this to look forward to EVERY FRIDAY!!

(unless I break this resolution)(except I resolved to floss my teeth - ALL my teeth - every night and I've been doing that hardcore for more than a year, so yep, pretty exciting!)