183 down, 183 up

July 1st, 2008 | by jg3 |

At the halfway point of 2008, it is time to review those now long-forgotten resolutions made on January 1 and see what has become of them.

They were:

  1. No alcohol except wine except on vacations
  2. Exercise 50%
  3. International trip
  4. No fast food
  5. Write/blog daily
  6. Finish house project

There were thorough explanations given in the original post, and here’s how that has worked out for me so far:

1. No alcohol except wine except on vacations

Yeah, well, that was interesting. That lasted six whole days. However, I have, on several occasions opted for wine and have learned a good deal more about it (that’s fodder for an article of its own). Tempranillio, I have learned, is my favorite because it is light and sweet. White wine is still a problem for me. But I’m really glad that I didn’t stick to this resolution because I’ve enjoyed some new drinks (again, there’s sufficient info for a standalone article here). It should also be said that the six days this resolution lasted was sufficient to provide recovery and perspective on a long partyhangover-filled holiday season.

2. Exercise 50%

This is probably less interesting than the wine-only resolution, but certainly better for me. The discoveries I’ve made in doing this are less than earth-changing. I’ve come up with a new kind of extreme sit-up, I’m probably in better cardiovascular shape than I’ve ever been in, and my hamstrings — which have always been very tight — are more flexable now than the ever were, even during yoga. And I miss yoga a lot. At any rate, I’ve only made it to 38% so the last half of the year will be an uphill climb if I am to achieve my goal.  By the way, I never bust my hump 6/7 of the time.  I like being strong but I’m not looking to become a gym rat.

3. International trip

Check! This was the simplest resolution to fulfill, although don’t think it was easy. We put a lot of time and effort into planning our trip and when troubles arose (weather stymied our flights both going and coming) we were ahead of the game. I got to places I never thought I would go, and I got a killer tan in February.

4. No fast food

I have to admit to indulging in a Taco Bell bean burrito (no onions!) a couple of times. And maybe a soft taco, too. I started off strong with the planned diet and intentional eating thing, but haven’t done very well. Part of my excuse about that relates to a new work schedule which has me working very early in the morning. I’m probably eating better and maybe cheaper for it, but I’m eating from the work cafeteria which means I don’t think about what it is going to be until about an hour before. That said, I am generally making much healthier choices. I’d like to be able to find a good source for grass fed, humanely, safely raised beef though (look for an entry on this topic coming soon, too).   The short on this is that I have completely cut out drive-through dining that was the result of poor planning.

5. Write/blog daily

I’ve actually gotten pretty close on this one. It just so happens that a lot of what I’ve written has been in discussions about just about any aspect of the Washington Nationals and not on this site. Including, at one point, a battle-rap about the Nats-vs-Orioles and yes, I am that much of a Nationals Nerd.

6. Finish house project

Well, I am making slow progress, but it is coming along. There is one piece of work that I can’t (won’t try to) do on my own, and that is to repair some collateral damage to the kitchen ceiling that happened after some bathroom repairs above. Beyond that, the back yard is a lot cleaner and things are quite a bit more organized. Except for the crooked mirror in the bathroom downstairs, everything is pretty much as it should be. I’ve decided I’m just going to learn to live with the feathering in the orange stripe in the bathroom upstairs. It is just cosmetic.

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