Help. I Think I'm a Rockstar.

Anywho, two or three family gatherings later (and several consecutive nights of at least a little more alcohol than necessary), I came home to Memphis. Let me first stop and say that while I generally bitch and moan about how much I dislike being around business travelers on a regular basis, I have been reminded of how much MORE I loathe holiday travelers. Business travelers are at least able to navigate an airport security line with marginal efficiency, whereas holiday travelers who haven't flown in a few years (or in some cases since before 9/11) are simply unable to comprehend the process. Furthermore, business travelers rarely have snotty-nosed offspring in tow. Snotty-nosed offspring that sit behind me. And kick the chair. For four hours. Argh. Thank god for crisp five-dollar bills and small bottles of spiced rum.

When I got home, we went to Arkansas to relax at ye ole lake place for a long New Year's weekend. For me, this meant complete and unashamed laziness, many hours of The Next Food Network Star marathons, Man vs. Wild and Mythbusters episodes, and catching up on the sleep I missed out on in Washington. For Tim, this meant almost losing a finger in a freak canopy accident and throwing his back out building a brick patio for the grill, followed by many hours of The Next Food Network Star marathons, Man vs Wild, etc.......

I do need to say that while it was great to see Dick Clark back in Times Square, and that he's clearly worked very hard to overcome the impact of a serious stroke, its tough to listen to the poor guy. For anyone who didn't catch it, take a look at the video clip below.


All the same, it really was good to see him back on the special. And he looked pretty damned good, all things considered.

Finally, regarding New Year's Resolutions:  I don't really get them.  Noveltization (is that a word?) of major life changes doesn't increase the chance of me actually following through.  And if I recognize something that does need to change in my life in November, why not just enact it then rather than the typical "Starting Jan 1...." business.  That said, I did take a few minutes this New Year's day to think about a few tangible, important goals for '08.  I think its perfectly healthy and constructive to look at a new year as a new opportunity to set some objectives and begin thinking about the best ways to make them happen.  So am I playing with semantics, or is there a genuine difference between a resolution and a goal?  I don't know, I require a little more alcohol in my blood before I start considering existentialism, antidisestablishmentarianism, and other such philosophical black holes (ask Dave :-).  Yet for my own damned good, I've decided to list my major goals at the highest level here for future reference.  

So in no particular order I give you "Would-Be New Year's Resolutions, Goals and Other Such Aspirations":

Alright, those are the biggies.  I guess in a year I'll have to look back and see how well I did.  For now, cheers to '08 and may it kick even more ass than '07!