And here we go!

I’ve said in years past — most recently, last year — that I’m not too good at keeping “resolutions,” so I rarely make any. Actually, I did set one specific goal last year: to be kinder to myself. In many ways, I achieved it; others, not. Well I’ve had a long time to think about it (365 days, to be exact), and I have decided to mete out some detailed plans for 2012. I’m fixin’ to free the lock on the Year of the Fink.

Yes, fiends, 2012 is going to be about me. But no worries; it’s really about how I’m going to relate to the world around me, and that includes everyone and everything else in my life. I’ve already started the work to become physically healthier, which directly affects the interaction with my two grandsons and other family, and that is ongoing. (Don’t want to say too much more about it, because like a fool, I still believe in jinxing things.) Rather, these promises to myself are designed to improve my mind, daily attitude, constitution, general outlook on life and my relationships, to wit:

I Resolve To…

• assert myself more, both in deed and word. (I know — my students would say, “MORE? What the…?” HA)
• be available to my family more.
• improve or abandon unhealthy relationships.
• be OK with people not knowing the whole story. I don’t know why, but this has always been a huge deal to me. I care too much about what others think, especially when they form opinions about me based on one-sided information, or even out-and-out lies. Truth is, people are going to say and think what they’re going to say and think, and there’s nothing I can do about it, so I will sweep them away.
• save more money for retirement.
• go home when it’s time to go home. The work piling up can wait.
• be more honest with friends and family about my inner feelings.
• walk the dog more often. (Actually, I need to teach him how to do THIS.)
• forgive more, and ask for forgiveness more.
• Let. It. Go. It’ll never be perfect, so stop agonizing over it.

It’s like fog lifting, or waking up feeling rested. Or maybe it was the pancake dinner and great conversation the Thriller treated me to last night. Many things became mercifully clear to me over this holiday break, and most of them are really good. The biggest revelation: 2012 will be the Year of the Fink. More on that tomorrow.

But for the moment, it’s all fun and games. The Js arrive at 10 a.m. to spend the day until 5:00, at which time we will lateral them to their other grandparents for more fun, and the Thriller and I will go out for dinner. Tomorrow, we get away for the last bit of the holiday. (A huge thank you to Kay and Bob for taking Rousseau while we escape!) Then comes the Push to Memorial Day, aka Grease and the spring concert season. Even that won’t faze me, though. Nothing is going to steal my joy this year. But again, more on that tomorrow.

So, it’s my wedding anniversary today. How about that? A loud huzzah and big hugs to the Thriller for surviving another year of my insanity (although with his classes and internship, he’s had plenty of his own). Anyway, yay for us. Let’s commence to celebratin’.

Be safe this night, fiends.

And no, I won’t post the photo of you at seven months old, sitting in an antique water bowl and wearing nothing but a gorgeous smile and a fuzzy duck toy in your hands. But I really, really want to.

The Fink’s handsome baby boy is 28 today. How the minutes do fly. What were you doing 28 years ago?

It’s been quite a fun ride with my two sons over the years. And specifically about the birthday boy, I remember:

• getting food poisoning when I was three months along, and worrying that I’d poisoned him, too (all was well, thankfully)
• various trips to the emergency room for stitches in his head — the crazy things those two did…
• his interest in the guitar at a young age

It amazes me at how fast life passes by, and how we need to hold on tight and get all the joy we can from it. At least that’s my plan. Savvy? With me? Hm?

So happity birthday, Lars, my precious boy. The fun is just beginning.

MamaFink out.

*yawn*

Well now, it’s 4:16 a.m. and I’ve already been up for two hours. I’m dreaming of being upstairs in my comfy bed, under the electric blanket, dreaming. Why is it that the brain holds so much sway over what the body does? Ah, the spirit is willing, but, yeah. And funny how this only happens when I have to be somewhere in four hours. On the days I have no commitments, I sleep just fine. Rat Fink, Rat Fink…

So of course, I pad down the stairs, start the coffee, and read the news. But first, a commercial:

Deal Chicken. Go there and put in your own city. I just liked the name at first (I saw it while reading a St. Cloud, MN newspaper article), but after clicking over, it appears that one can score a deal or two. I might have to go back there and snoop around.

I think the only thing worse than knowing I did not win the lottery would be knowing I did win it, but was unable to find the ticket. Actually, that would be much, much worse. Bash-your-head-on-the-desk worse. Or worse yet, not knowing that I had the winning ticket…now that would bite.

Cyberbaiting. Cripes, this is all I need.

Maybe, but I’d have to make you suffer for it. “Honey, I know you wanted that Alaskan cruise for Christmas, but, I’m going to give you this instead.”  Yep. That’ll work,  sure as a Browns victory this Sunday.

This can be called payback — reaping what you sow — bad juju — for giving new customers great deals on the Droid Razr, but gouging current, loyal, on-time paying customers who want to upgrade early. Feh. A hex upon your household.

Mmmm, meat – out of a machine, even. Could this foreshadow the return of the awesomely classic automat?

And now that it’s exactly 5:16 a.m., it’s time to get going. Stuff to do at the school house this morning. It’s going to be a thumbs-up weekend, however. Bring it. Happy Thurnsday!

When I chose the title for this post, WordPress reminded me that there was already an entry by that name — from 2008. Yipes. Glad I didn’t do what I was considering back then. Ha.

Anyway. Am I mental for the following?

Life would be grand if…

1. I never again saw a toilet in a Facebook profile photo. If you have teenagers on your friend list, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
2. I never again saw a Facebook status post that contained only song lyrics (with no artist credit, of course).
3. there was a Facebook script that auto-detected photos containing the duck-face-and-peace-sign pose, causing the perpetrators’ profiles to be instantly deleted and their IPs permanently banned. Along with the profiles of their progeny.
4. Oreos were thermogenic.
5. there was a cure for osteoarthritis.
6. I could just have *one* more week of Christmas break. (I know, stop whining.)
7. it would snow bigtime just once soon, so the Thriller could use the shiny new snowblower he got for Christmas. I’ve never known him to actually wish for a snowstorm until now.

What do you wish for today? I know my list was a skosh tetchy, but sometimes it just helps to blab it all out there, you know? Let fly with your snark. I’m yer huckleberry.