2013 Goals & Resolutions (plus an Unexpected Hobbit)

I debated the whole resolution thing this year. It seems to me that if you want to make changes in your life, you should just go ahead and do it, and not wait for the new year. Still, January 1 is a natural time to reassess what you're doing in your life and as I looked over mine, I was inspired to make some additional changes. These are partially resolutions, but more accurately goals - things I want to do, or to do differently this year:

• Renovate my master bathroom - its ridiculous that I've lived in this house going on 7 years and I've never once used the master bath because I despise it so. I'm fortunate to have a less despicable guest bathroom, but still...
• Finish my assorted house and crafty projects - I swear I'm like that dog from Up, I start a project and it's going well and then something pops up...SQUIRREL!!!... and I get distracted and things don't get finished. Case in point, my 3rd bedroom - I spent two weekends prepping the walls (spackle, sand, repeat), painting the trim and windows, etc and in the 4 months since, I have yet to get around to painting the room. Doh.
• Purge closets (and house) of accumulated *stuff* - until I moved in here, I moved every year or so, and when you have to pack up and schlep your stuff with that kind of regularity, you have regular chances (and motivation) to declutter and streamline. Suddenly, the unfillable vastness of my condo, more than half empty when I moved in, is getting full. I don't need all this stuff, it's time to downsize

I also want to keep up assorted things I've been working on the past year, such as working out regularly and maintaining good eating habits. I also need to make time to do things I like, and not feel guilty if that means doing things alone. Most of my friends are married, and several have children. I'm willing to do kid- or couple-friendly things most of the time. But not all the time. This week, I put my foot down - I am NOT going to go see Monsters Inc in 3D. I'm glad some adults think it's cute, I'm glad it so kid friendly, but I am not paying movie theater prices for something I can watch on netflix if I want to just because it's 3D, which is how I wound up in the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey instead.

Most people apparently went for the standard showing, which was all but sold out, while the 3D showing was only about 30% filled. I got a great seat and even sprang for a small popcorn. I'm not going to pretend that the 3D was a mind-blowing marvel, but it was fun. The film was good, Martin Freeman plays Bilbo brilliantly, the special effects were fabulous and Thorin was unexpectedly hot. I know that Jackson pulled background material from the LOTR appendices, but he made events contemporaneous which Tolkien actually described as happening up to a century apart - so I'm on the side that says they fluffed it out to 3 films (instead of 2) for financial rather than artistic integrity reasons. The highlight, of course, was Andy Serkis' Gollum and the Riddles in the Dark scene was tremendously well done.

Post movie, we did all go out to dinner, where the childless spent 2 hours complaining about Monsters Inc while the parents were too distracted by the logistics of children and Chinese food for much conversation. Overall, I'd say I had the better time and I'm fine with sitting in a different theater (you're supposed to be sitting quietly in the dark anyway) while sharing our post-movie meal in the future. Of course, if we all agree on the film of the week, I'm also happy to join in for a shared movie experience.

Anyway, actions speak louder than words, so it's time to go tape over the trim, put down some plastic and paint the office.