2013

English: New Year's Resolutions postcard (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Well, here we are at the start of another new year.  I suppose I should think about making some sort of resolution or such.  To be honest, I usually don't go in for making New Year's resolutions.  The primary reason is that I don't feel like there is anything magical about January 1st for setting goals for yourself.  Another reason is that I feel that I must be mentally prepared to make that change within me otherwise I feel I would be destined to fail.

A case in point for me would be one of the more popular resolutions that folks tend to make and that is the goal of weight loss.  Last year at this time, I definitely needed to lose some weight.  I wasn't mentally prepared at that time to lose weight, so I knew I wouldn't change.  However, some time in the spring I was mentally ready and lost 40 pounds over a five month period.  Sadly, I have slipped a bit of late and lapsed into some bad habits and gained about half back.  Time to get back on the wagon.

That is not to say that I do not have some idea of things that I would like to accomplish in the coming year.  They are more or less some general ideas floating around in my mind and not things that I am 100% ready to commit to with specifics at this time.  One thing that is floating around in my mind are things that I would like to accomplish with this blog, specifically in regards to content and consistency.

Last year, I kind of let the consistency of posting slip from previous years.  In 2012, I posted less than 200 posts for the first time since I began this blog in 2008.  Of course 2008 was basically only 4 months of posting versus and entire year.  I am not sure that I will get back up to posting nearly every day, but I would like to post on a more regular basis, maybe 250-300 posts during the course of the year.

Then there is the content side of things.  In previous years, I posted a lot of political content.  Since the election two months ago, I have been taking a break from a steady dose of following politics.  I have found that I do not miss it at all.  Instead, I have been concentrating on doing more reading and trying to get back in touch with my spiritual side.  I suspect that you will see more posts with a spiritual leaning.  I have been considering a series of posts regarding some of my spiritual journey through the years.

With the start of the new year, as usual, I am concerned about financial issues.  I officially get my first pay check of 2013 on Thursday, but my credit union gives me access to my direct deposit early.  I noticed my deposit was about 3% less than usual which I can most likely attribute to the expiration of the 2% payroll tax holiday.  In two weeks, I should see the results of the 30% increase in my share of my health insurance premium.  Not an encouraging start.

The good news on the financial side of things is that I just closed on refinancing my mortgage through the government HARP program.  It is allowing me to reduce my mortgage by about $260 per month which hopefully will result in a wash when my health insurance premium kicks in.  The other good news is that with the timing of my closing, I will not have a mortgage payment due until March so it will give me two months to replenish my savings account some.

A couple of the nebulous goal thingies that are floating around in my head is to concentrate a bit more on my photography.  I kind of started this a bit last year, but time is a precious commodity and there were not as many opportunities to devote to it as I would have liked.  Another idea floating in my head is to attempt to write a book.  This one is so nebulous that I do not even have a clue what kind of book it would be.  That's why I can't commit to them as "resolutions."

So, in closing, I would like to wish everybody a very successful and happy New Year. If you are of the sort that makes resolutions this time of year, I hope you are able to achieve your goals.  If not, well that's OK too.

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Back to the Grind

Well, the holidays are officially over.  I know this for a fact, not because of the calendar, but rather based on the amount of cars on the road this morning.  For the past two weeks, traffic has been almost non-existent on the beltway here in the DC area.  Usually, I have a five mile stretch of the beltway that is bumper to bumper, but during the holidays there was no backup.  It was back in full force this morning.

I also know that the holidays are over because the house is a little bit emptier this evening than it has been for the past two weeks.  Today was the day that my son had to return to his residential school after the Christmas break.  My son gets several breaks home during the school year, but most of them are a few days for long weekends.  The Christmas break is one of a few long breaks home from school.

It is always tough when he has to go back to school.  It is much tougher after the long breaks home.  We always have a hard time getting him in the car whenever his breaks end.  My wife discovered that it is even more difficult when I am home as he knows something is amiss if I am not at work.  Consequently, I usually do not go back to the school with them when breaks end.

The other thing is that we can not tell him right away that he is going back to school.  Then he won't get in the car.  When I left the house this morning, I had to tell him "see you later," rather than "see you tonight."  My wife has to concoct new schemes to get him in the car under the guise of running an errand or visiting someone.  She does those things, but then once back in the car, she heads off to school.

He gets a little upset when he realizes that he is heading back to his school.  He will usually tell my wife that he doesn't want to go back to school.  Then he will sometimes say that "Mommy lied," but by the time he gets back to school he is fine.  He got out of the car when he arrived at school and headed to class.  Then he told his teacher all the things he did on break.

We will probably head out to school in a couple of weeks and see him when we have to go for his annual IEP meeting and to drop off medication refills with the school nurse.  His next long weekend home will be in about six weeks when he will be home for over the Presidents Day Weekend.  Then his next long break of nearly two weeks will occur around Easter, which also happens to be his 18th birthday.  One of our friends at the Bowie Baysox is saying she will have to arrange something special for him.

Also marking the end of the holiday period is the Iowa Republican caucuses that take place tonight.  It is the first in what promises to be a very long election cycle.  I will probably be checking out the results later tonight to see how things shake out.  Right now, I think I am like the 40% of Iowans who are still undecided as to who to vote for the GOP Presidential nominee.  Perhaps more on this tomorrow.

Happy New Year

Let me start off by saying Happy New Year to everybody.  I hope that you had a safe and happy New Year's Eve.  Traditionally, the start of the new year is a time when everybody hopes to make a fresh start.  Usually, it is filled with all sorts of New Year's resolutions that more often than not, at least in my experience, do not come to fruition.

In years past, I have stayed away from making resolutions just because the calendar turns to January 1st.  I have to be of the frame of mind to actually want to make that change in my life for it to be effective for me.  When I am mentally prepared to make a change and have that mindset, that is when I am able to achieve those goals.  So it does not matter if it is January 1st or March 1st.

This year, however, I have been thinking a lot about making some changes.  Like a lot of people, I struggle with my weight.  I have documented here previously that I have sleep apnea.  Excess weight exacerbates the situation.  Also, my doctor has told me that my blood sugar is starting to creep up into the pre-diabetic range. So, like a lot of people this New Year, one of my goals (I hate to say resolution) is to change my behavior and get my weight under control.

Aside from weight and general health and fitness resolutions, a lot of people want to improve their financial situation in the coming year.  With home mortgage rates at such historic lows, there is no better way to improve your financial state of affairs than by lowering your expense.  If you are a homeowner with good credit and haven't taken advantage of the lower interests rates, you might want to click here to see what is available where you live.

Health and finances are high up on my list of resolutions for 2012.  That, and continuing to blog on a regular basis and get ready for the 2012 elections.  Have you set any resolutions for yourself this year?  If so, share them here.  There is no better motivation to hitting your goals than by letting everybody knows what they are so they can help keep you on track.  Once again, Happy New Year!

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Hurry Less, Worry Less at Christmastime

Image via WikipediaAre you one of those people who sometimes dread the whole holiday season?  I know there have been times in my life when I just wanted them to be over.  You get overwhelmed by the constant barrage of holiday events and activities.

Is it any wonder that we can get stressed out by the holidays.  It all starts with Thanksgiving, moves quickly to Christmas and ends with the New Year.  They really are three distinct holidays with their own special meaning and significance, but they all seem to run together these days.

I remember when there was a bit of a break between the different holidays.  Christmas decorations wouldn't go up until after Thanksgiving.  Now, the stores start putting up Christmas decorations in early November.  I even was at one mall that had Santa Claus out two weeks before Thanksgiving.

Personally, I want to relax and enjoy each of the holidays for what they represent.  I don't want to get caught up in all of the hustle and bustle.  Usually it is a case of easier said than done.  Fortunately, I found a pretty good little book called Hurry Less, Worry Less at Christmastime by Judy Pace Christie.

The book is filled with nice little tips and techniques to simplify the holiday season.  There are great suggestions on how to cut back in some areas without feeling guilty about it.  At the same time, she teaches you how take time to focus on what is truly important and how to integrate new traditions with your old traditions.

It all starts with imagining and writing down the type of holiday you want.  She encourages you to realize you can't change everything at once, but to focus on that which is most important to you and try to change a little bit at a time.  Then each year becomes a little bit easier to move towards your goal of a relaxing holiday season.

Unbeknownst to me, I had already started to incorporate a few of her ideas into my own holiday activities, but I never formally thought about them.  I learned to cut back on the number of gifts I bought for people outside of my wife and son and not feel guilty about it.  I have started my own traditions with my wife and son.  I try not to feel guilty if I can't or choose not to attend every holiday invitation.

My holidays aren't always stress free and without drama.  There are times when I still spend too much or get too involved in activities.  But I am working on it.  Here is hoping that you can have a less worrisome and less hurried holiday season this year and for years to come.

Early Christmas Vacation

Image via WikipediaI slept a little bit later than I usually do this morning.  Normally, on the weekend, I get up around 8 am.  When my son is home, I usually get up a little earlier because he tends to be an early riser.  This morning, however, I must have been particularly sleepy because I didn't crawl out of bed until 9:30.

I got up and took care of my usual morning business; brushed my teeth, showered, etc.  After getting dressed, I headed downstairs to fire up the old laptop and fix myself a pot of coffee.  I was going to have a couple cups of coffee, and do a little web browsing before heading out to do my weekly grocery shopping.  Then it was going to be a relaxing day of watching football.

As is so often the case in my life, things don't always seem to go exactly as I planned.  Just as I was about to pour my first cup of coffee, Mrs. Dickster comes walking down the steps to inform me that she had just received a phone call from my son's school asking us to come pick him up.  Needless to say, we were somewhat surprised as his Christmas break was not to begin until December 23rd.

I called the school to speak to the person who had made the request.  She requested that we come pick him up and bring him back after the Christmas break on January 3rd.  We were informed that he was being completely non-compliant and was hitting other kids.  My son has had a history of slapping at people in the past, and we definitely do not condone that behavior, but he usually does not go out of his way to hit others. 

We knew it was going to be a difficult transition for him to be living away from home.  However, I do have to say we were completely taken aback by the request to come get him this early.  For the most part, we have gotten positive feedback from the staff at the school and the dorm.  He has been doing well in class, and had been making some strides in the dorm life. 

There have been some concerns about his eating, but for the most part they said he seemed to be adjusting.  When I spoke to somebody earlier this week, they told me that he had been interacting more and more with the other kids.  My wife had to take some medication out to the school on Thursday, and she saw him from a distance and said he looked happy.

Of course, the holidays are a particularly stressful time of year for anybody.  I guess it can be particularly stressful for a special needs child away from home for the first time.  The hope is that after holiday season when things settle down a little bit at school that he will be able to adjust after things return to normal.  I hope so, though getting him back will be difficult. 

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Happy New Year

The Chinese have rung in their new year.  It is now the Year of the Ox, which coincidentally, is the same as my Chinese Zodiac sign.  I hope that means it is going to be a good year for me.

According to my Chinese horoscope at this website, this is what I can expect in the coming year:

You may have been disappointed by a relatively modest 2008, but as your sign enters the heaven, the groundwork you laid should start paying off in 2009. Don’t expect fireworks, but success should arrive both in your family life and in business. This is a great year to achieve personal ambitions as well as take action on major decisions. You’ll find both family and friends supportive of new plans.

Happy New Year

Let me take a moment to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. The New Year is a time when most people make resolutions on what they are going to do to improve themselves in the coming new year. Not me. No need to (just kidding). Sure, I could use to stand a few pounds, save some money, and be nicer to my fellow man. Who couldn't? However, the new year is sort of an arbitrary time to start what we should be doing all along.

Anyway, a very sincere Happy New Year wish to everyone. If you have made resolutions for yourself in the coming year, I wish you much success. I do hope to do all those things mentioned above, I just haven't formally resolved to do so. At least not yet.