All I Want for New Year's is a Teeny-Tiny Break.

Ah. New Year's Eve. That magical point in time where the desire for something to be over surpasses, even just a little, the desire for something to begin. This time of year manages to turn most people into odd, hopeful creatures with plans and plans and more plans for their lives in the coming year. True, most of them revert to bitter, apathetic humans within the first month, but for a few bright and shining days, smiles grace the faces of the scowliest of the lot.

Now, normally I can be counted among the transformed. This year, though, there is but one small thing I want from 2014. IMPROVEMENT. I don't care about the degree of improvement. I am not expecting to become a published author or to actually get a full-time job or even get that one person to notice me. I just hope that things are not quite as bad as they were this year. That's not too much to ask, at least in my quite humble opinion. I especially hope things get better for those closest to my heart. My dad. My mom. My best friend. See I can be selfless. Surely Karma can see that. Pay it forward. Put others first. Etc. Etc. Etc. Somehow that must earn me and mine a little break. I guess we'll see.

All that said, the hopeful creature that is trying to grow in me has ideas about the dreaded "R" word that is bandied around this time of year like a ping-pong ball in a match between Forrest Gump and himself. I have three of those Resolutions things-that-shall-not-be-named. There are other things like basic guidelines I'd like to follow as the year goes and, also, things I want to do, but don't really see happening. Ok, here we go. The hopeful gremlin has won.

• Lose weight. (Yeah, everyone says this, but I swear I'd just be happy with 5 lbs. Honestly.)
• Write more. (Journal, blog, novel, children's stories. I don't care. My talent can only get better with practice.)
• Budget my money better. (I even have a budget to use. I just get lazy. That needs to stop.)

• Go somewhere new. (I don't even care if it's just a town I've never been too. I'm tired of having gone NOWHERE in my life.)
• Learn new things. (I think my knowledge has stagnated. And it's annoying. I like knowing more than others about stuff.)
• Dress better. (As if you didn't know, I tend to get lazy, and that includes in how I present myself to the world.)
• Get Auereya to tradeskill level 90. (Don't ask.)
• Be more active in social/political issues that I believe in. (I wonder if there is a movement to change TN stance on marriage equality.)
• Stop putting myself down. (Like that's gonna happen.)
• Watch some classic movies. (Sometimes I feel ashamed that I haven't seen certain movies.)
• Read more. (I'd rather I'd read novels. I need to join FanFiction Anonymous. Lol. FFA)
• Get into better hygienic habits. (That's for me to know and you to never find out.)

We'll see how I manage with that list. Most likely, the next blog post I write will be next New Year's saying that I didn't accomplish any of that.