Good-bye, 2008.

Because my schedule is completely booked with fun, VIP parties for New Year's Eve tomorrow night, I might not get to post. Actually, that's a lie. I currently have a 100% free New Year's Eve, with a vague prospect of getting together with people and doing something and maybe eating some food. I like to ring in the new year with style, obviously. 

...In all truth, I'll probably start 2009 by switching between Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve and making snide comments about whoever is performing on the MTV New Year's special. I might also drink some champagne and say, "Ew. This is yucky!" 

Anyway, I thought I'd share some of my 2009 Resolutions, which are more like guidelines rather than rules. In no particular order:

1. Run a marathon, all things permitting.
2. Be a nicer person and say fewer snarky things. (I always say this and usually fail. Crap.)
3. Continue to work towards overall health in regards to fitness, nutrition, and body image.
4. Do speed work and get faster. 

Okay, so those were mostly running-related in some way and kind of boring. In short, I want to be a nicer, healthier, and faster person...who is also a marathoner.

Yesterday, Mom and I visited with a family friend and her daughter Paula [who I know reads this blog]. She made this cool stew of leftovers--turkey, stuffing, green beans, gravy--you name it! I think it was a Paula Dean recipe, minus the obligatory 15 sticks of butter. (I like beurre, ya'll!) This leftovers concoction is apparently called "Stoup" (Stew+soup?), which makes me laugh. Despite its hilariously unappealing name, stoup is delicious.

 

I shared the Christmas running cheer by presenting Paula with her very own pair of "snot gloves" so she, too, can partake in the joy of crusted mucus on terry cloth. Oooh, the joy!

Today,  I ended up running in the late afternoon because I didn't have my shoes at the boyfriend's house this morning. My right shin is pretty tight when I run, so I should make sure to stretch it well. My fancy Garmin reports that I covered 4.17 miles with a pace of 9:18 minutes/mile. That seems too fast given my perceived rate of exertion, but maybe I am just terrible at guessing how fast I'm going. The boyfriend says I should stop second-guessing the Garmin's accuracy, and given how much those things cost, I should have a little faith in modern technology and in my own physical ability. In that case, hooray! I'm faster than I thought!

Tonight, Mom and I saw Slumdog Millionaire which was really enjoyable. (It's about a kid from the slums of Mumbai whose life experiences lead to his unprecedented success on India's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.) We were going to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but I had been dragging my heels ever since I learned that it is two hours and 48 minutes long. Movies should not be this long; it allows for sloppy editing and self-congratulatory filmmaking. Fortunately, I didn't have anything negative to say about Slumdog Millionaire. In fact, I highly recommend all two hours of it. 

I hope you all have a fun and safe New Year's Eve. Don't forget--there is still plenty of time to throw together a fun shin-dig and then invite me! You can most likely find me in Richmond, VA, wearing dirty sweatpants and watching episodes of LOST. 

What are your resolutions for 2009 and how do you plan to ring in the New Year?