New Year, New Stuff

Sorry I haven’t posted recently. I took the opportunity over the break to do absolutely nothing. Well, Christmas nothing, which usually consists of too much food, too much fun, and too much capitalism. Surprising how the days can fly by when you’re not stressed about papers, exams, work, etc. Well, it’s that time of year, and I thought this would make for good posting fodder—RESOLUTION TIME!!! I’ve heard over and over that you have write down your goals, share them with other people and report your progress on them in order to be successful at them. So, here goes: New Years Resolutions: 1) Find a Special Someone.

It doesn’t even have to be that special someone. Just a special someone. Somehow, someway, a special someone has eluded me ever since I moved to Provo. That might be due to the inordinate amounts of time I spend studying, working, or fretting about school or work. And it might be due to the fact that I couldn’t chase down a wounded tortoise without getting winded, let alone a 120 lb girl. This situation needs to change. Therefore, most of my resolutions will revolve around this unknown, yet hopefully real someone. You see, on too many days I’ve come home defeated, tired, sore, and contemplating whether or not I could have made it as a screenwriter or circus performer. Those are the lonely days when all I want is to know that someone out there likes me, and is rooting for me, and wants me to be happy. Therefore, to find her, I will go out more; I will follow through joyfully with blind dates (Melanie—this means your friend, if you’ll still let me); I will ask out that unbelievably cute girl even though I think she might have a boyfriend; I will wear my BYU Law shirts on the other side of campus; I will tell a girl when she looks good (although not at work—that’s sexual harassment and actionable under Title VII); I will flirt; I will buy flowers; I will watch a Romantic Comedy; I will tell a girl that, Yes! Garth Brooks does have an amazing butt; I will do any and every asinine thing required to find and hold on to her, because she’s out there, and she’s going to be worth it, because she’s amazing. I don’t know who she is, but I know that much about her. And if she happens to think that I have a nice butt, then so be it. 2) Get healthier Eat Better Laugh Better Stress Better Sleep Better Feel Better Be Better 3) Use my Gold’s Gym Pass to the Point That Gold Loses Money on Me I don’t know Gold, I really don’t want to get to know him, but I send that guy money every month, whether or not he’s really provided a service for me. With my first and second resolutions in mind, this one is essential. 4) Go to New York for a Long Weekend Broadway—I need to see a Broadway production. I’ve never seen one other than those traveling productions that make their slow to Utah 15 years after they premiere in New York. Wicked, the Producers, Young Frankenstein…Something! Eat real New York pizza in a real New York Pizzeria. See the Statue of Liberty Chase Pigeons and/or Homeless People in Central Park See David Letterman or Conan O’Brien, or maybe both. Find Jerry Seinfeld and act like he’s an old family friend. 5) Have a Better Attitude When it Comes To:

Law School. Up ‘til now, I’ve mostly just complained about the arbitrary, capricious, obnoxious, boring, unstimulating, cutthroat, demeaning, depressing, insane experience that law school has been. I promise to limit just how much of that actually makes it to these pages.

Provo. I will do my best to look on the bright side of the darkest Happy Valley in the world.

Traffic. Instead of caustically pummeling drivers who cut me off with a series of #*$&^%es or ##$%@@es or the mid digit, I will simply smile, allow them in and graciously throw out those #*$&^%es or ##$%@@es or the mid digit with a smile. Pain. Pain is good for you. Like a billion Western Movies have taught me over the years, the pain lets you know you're alive. It also lets you appreciate the good in your life. Without it, everything would be just kind of...blah. Friends. I think sometimes I take my friends for granted. I should never do that. With that in mind, I'm going to try and write something honest, heartfelt, and meaningful to each of my friends, either through blogs, facebook, or (and you should be embarrassed if I have to do this) through physical notes. Everybody who means a lot to me deserves to know that. Family. Ditto above, only they have a special place in my heart, and I hope they know how much I love them. Crappy Media. I'm going to be more selective about what I put into the old noggin. That includes movies, books, TV shows...the works. If it's not worth my time, instead of complaining about how much of a waste of time that was, I'm simply not going to waste time on it.

6) Stop Smoking Alright, I don't smoke. But I'm sure there's some bad habit out there that I can break...oh yes. Procrastination. I'm not going to do that anymore. Starting next week.

7) Start a New Blog

I'm going to have quite a bit more free time next semester thanks to some creative and fortuitous scheduling. (Just so you know, I've got one class on most Tuesdays and Thursdays and nothing on Mondays or Fridays). So with that derth of time, I've been mulling ideas for a new blog, and here are three that I'd really like everyone's input on.

a. Choose Your Own Blog-Venture. Do you remember "Choose Your Own Adventures?" Well, I do, and I think this might be a novel new way to publish one. I'd write one chapter a week and then give readers the option to choose what the character(s) does next... wherein the story is somewhat guided by the readers. I think it could be fun.

b. A Blog Novel. This would pretty much be the same as the above, only it would eliminate the reader options, and be more of a regularly published novel, with a chapter coming out every week or so.

c. A Missionary Journal. I adored the time I spent in the Amazon as a missionary for the LDS Church. The spiritual, educational, practical, emotional, and physical experiences I had in the city of Manaus would, I feel, make a terrific story. On top of that, mission stories are too often told from a strictly Mormon-centric view, carefully packaged and promoted by Sheri Dew and Deseret Book. I don't want this blog to be that. My plan is to take each day of my mission journal (I filled up 3 at somewhere around 250 pages each) and post it as if its contents were happening that day. I really think this one could be fun, informative, and over all quality reading. Some of the stories I've got stored up surprised even me when I went back through and read over it. I also plan to include outside information, essays, and verse that I've written and will write to give the place, the experience, and the feel of it some context and hopefully some texture. This one's a little more meaty than the others, but I'd be willing to do it if others think it's a good idea.

Anyway, there they are. I'll include a poll at the top of the page near the lemonade experiment (also, let me know if you hate that. If you do, I'll take it down. I thought it was kind of a cool gadget, but I have mixed feelings about all the capitalism involved in it) so that you can voice your opinions without an account. Also, if you feel especially passionate about one of these blog ideas, you can vote multiple times. Let the race begin! Well, to wrap things up, 2007 was GREAT, but I'd like 2008 to be even GREATER!!! So, I'll come up with some more resolutions this week to (hopefully) guilt me into action. I hope that everyone had a terrific, festive, and fun holiday. I know I did. Keep rockin' the free world. Eric