So 2015 . . .

And here we are again. Another year’s end, another year beginning, another refusal to make resolutions because I can’t plan for the weekend, let alone a whole year. Instead, I have intentions. I intend to do this stuff. If I don’t do it, hey, I changed my mind. It’s not like I resolved to do this stuff. I didn’t promise the universe anything. There is no obligation and no guilt-inducing salespeople will call. Not even my mother who, when I called to tell her I’d sold my first novel, said, “Well, don’t forget your PhD.” Because you start resolving to do something and Guilt shows up at your door with a list. “Remember when you said you were gonna lose fifteen pounds by 2011? IT’S 2015 AND YOU STILL HAVEN’T LOST THOSE POUNDS.” Yeah, fuck Guilt and his much worst cousin, Shame, something I haven’t been on speaking terms with for forty years.

Where was I?

Right. Intentions. Here are mine:

1. Finish things.

I have over forty crochet projects started and probably about as many things for the house. So I’m going to go through at my own pace and pleasure, and finish the things I’ve started that I still like and frog the rest. Maybe I’ll talk about them on Friday. Finishing Fridays. I kind of like that. It’s not only alliterative, it’s metaphorical because Friday finishes the work week. Not that I have a work week, but you know. Then you guys can come into the comments and talk about what you finished. It might be fun. Just no obligation.

2. Read fiction.

Things have been, uh, hectic the past several years and I’ve gotten out of the habit of reading fiction. Yes, I know, the irony is strong in this one. So I’m going to try to read at least one novel a week. (I read fast.) New, old, whatever. Maybe I’ll talk about the ones I like here. The ones I don’t like, no. No point in talking about books I don’t like since somebody else probably does.

3. Organize.

I have stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. I’ve been organizing for awhile now, but I really need to just jettison some of this. Or at least find a place to put all of it. And there’s there’s my thought processes and my life, those need organized, too. But only in a way that’s fun. No deadlines. No assumptions. Just a little straightening here and there.

4. Paint and Stuff

And not walls this time. I haven’t been an art teacher for thirty years, but I really do want to paint and draw again. And learn a good graphics program, probably Acorn because I’ve been loving that one. And I’d love to learn computer animation in the Terry Gilliam style. There’s a great video he did and I have a book of his, so I really want to learn that. Too much fun.

I think that’s the key to these intentions. They’re all things I’ll enjoy. (Yes, even organizing. I’m a Virgo with Scorpio Rising, so as insane as I am in my public life, my secret soul likes to alphabetize and arrange things according to color.) The problem with resolutions is that the reason you have to resolve to do them is that you don’t want to do them. Nobody ever makes a resolution to gain fifteen pounds by eating chocolate eclairs, it’s always losing weight, cleaning house, Doing More For Others. Intentions, those are things you’re looking forward to. Good intentions. (And now I have “Good Vibrations” in my head. Could be worse.)

Those are my intentions for 2015, a year I fully intent to enjoy to the utmost. So now the important question:

You got any intentions for 2015, Argh People? Remember, ONLY THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BECAUSE YOU’LL ENJOY THEM. And try to keep it clean, okay? Euphemisms are good for keeping the blog not listed as a porn site.