2012, a year for resolutions.

I've never been fantastic about making resolutions.  I'm good at keeping them, maybe that is why I don't make them.  Three years ago, I vowed to do away with diet soda.  My addiction was disgusting, I couldn't get from point A to point B without stopping at Chik-fil-a (they carried caffeine free diet coke, my drug of choice).  I quit cold turkey and feel like I'm healthier because of it.  The long term effects of aspartame, splenda, and other chemically derived sweeteners are not known, and I can't believe I actually craved that stuff.  Ga-ross.  So that was the last resolution I made...three years ago.  Blerg.  This year I was feeling curiously like I needed a re-boot and made a list of resolutions and a tracking chart that I taped to our fridge.  These endlessing fascinating entries on the blog are my accountability:

1. Memorize one verse a month.  By the end of the year I'll have 12 new verses in my  heart and mind.  January's is Psalm 46.  Ahhh be still and know...

2.  Change our bed sheets once a week.  I've always thought it was once every two weeks until I read Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook.  Ew. 

3.  Run a 15K in 1:15.  That's around an 8 minute mile, which isn't very fast at all but it's fast for me.  I ran my half marathon with a 10 minute mile so this will be a challenge.  My first 15K is in March but I'm not really aiming to run my goal that quickly.  My expected finish for that is around 1:30.  I think our Olympic team can run a marathon in that time.  Go USA!

4.  Read one book a month.  I love to read but never do.  My attention deficet brought on by my iphone has replaced books with facebook and the news.  I already finished my book for January (The Great Gatsby, can't wait for the movie!!).  Matt and I currently reading Tim Keller's new book about marriage and I bought Mark Driscoll's book "Real Marriage" yesterday.  I also got "Swamplandia" which I've heard so many great things about.  Any recommendations, let me know.

5.  Climb a green route at the rock gym.  Matt's brother, Eric, took us to Vertical Ventures while he was home for Christmas and I left the gym wrecked.  Seriously, my body and my ego were destroyed.  Not only was I terrible and looked like I was constipated the entire time, I discovered I'm scared of heights.  Not all heights, just the ones where I'm suspended only by my weakling arms.  After a weak of recovery, Matt and I went back and I was worse than before.  So discouraging.  Two weeks later we went again and I felt great.  My arms weren't throbbing until the end (we were there about an hour, taking turns), and I finished almost every route I tried.  The routes are marked by difficulty, pink and orange being the easiest.  Green is the next stage.  My goal this year is to climb a green route.  If anyone ever wants to go with me, let me know.  It is no fun going alone.