New year? What new year?

[the_moogie]

I remember the first time I learned to write the date, including the year. It was September of 1978. Having spent 31 years of my life in schools of one type or another, September always feels like more of a New Year to me than January does.  I think the Jews are right on that score.  Plus, at least here where I live, September is accompanied by a weather shift, whereas January is just a continuation of more of the same cold.  Not feeling very "new."

For this reason, I don't really do New Years.  I've been to some parties, but I usually spent the evening trying to stay up late enough for the big event, and whether there'd be kissing was often a source of anxiety for me.  In short, many of them sucked.  My best New Years was at a bar called Rumours, circa 1995.

I don't do resolutions, but I do have a general plan for the year:

1. dump as much money as humanly possible onto my student loan (actually, this could probably count as a resolution)
2. eat better and get more exercise (hey, haven't we seen this plan before?)
3. spend more time with friends
4. work on my writing projects, actually finish some

There's other stuff I'd like to do (ex: take another course in German, attend more native events) but I can't say I've made a plan to do them.

Anyhow, Happy New Year to you all. Remember to write the correct date on your rent cheques tomorrow.