Happy 2012

[Paulclem]

Happy 2012.

What were the highlights of 2011 for you, and what do you want to achieve in 2012?

[Meta Penguin]

http://parenting.leehansen.com/downloads/clipart/newyear/newyear-penguin.jpg

To be edited.

[stlukesguild]

http://ww2.gazette.net/images/2009_0107/brews010709eg_rgbb.jpg

http://liquiddiets.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/3631024452_0566afc2ba.jpg

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lf0um1amrq1qd8ipp.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0HtilT2iKeE/TdPiWvnRojI/AAAAAAAAAfY/7PIcuIqRMvM/s1600/Murphys%252520Stout%2525204pk%252520Cans%252520WEB .jpg

http://www.thefoodsection.com/foodsection/images/threephil-thumb.jpg

All this... and some shrimp, great cheese and crackers, and at midnight Hungarian pork sausage and sauerkraut that's been in the crock-pot since 6 PM... a traditional New Year's good luck meal... all while blasting some great music:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61B6e-SkJ1L._SS500_.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZAB68bSUL._SS500_.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/710KgsB1OCL.jpg

Happy New Year!!!

:grouphug:


I won't be up 'til after noon tomorrow.

[JuniperWoolf]

Happy new year. I hope I'm the only one spending it in a crappy little office.

[tailor STATELY]

Happy New Year all y'all...

and a shout out to the great peoples of Samoa who didn't have a Friday the week before celebrating their New Year.

[SilentMute]

2011, I rediscovered my spirituality...though it has been difficult. I became Catholic, but I am fighting old memories of abuse from my grandparents' church. Still, I made wonderful friends at my church...and the priests are kind, and one has been helpful. I'm hoping that I can conquer my fears and stay.

I volunteered at my library briefly. I was a cashier/stock person at the gift shop. I loved a position I had feared taking, and I discovered a new talent. I'm good at selling. In a gift shop that normally sold $60-$70 per day, I sold $143-$226 per day. I was not just a cashier. People came in to talk to me about their dreams, frustrations. Lonely men developed crushes on me. Students came in with boo-boos, coughs, and tummy aches wanting remedies. It was painful to give up the position, but I did when I found out my boss was dumpster diving and selling the food to the students.

I also learned the possibilities of papier mache, for we had some sculptures decorating the store. I'm trying it. I've sculpted with polymer clay and have never been pleased with it. Papier mache may be a nice alternative. Ditto acrylic paints. I like drawing, but colored pencils are so limited.

For 2012, I'm going to try and become a seller on Ebay and a papier mache artist. I also hope to make progress in learning Spanish, which I keep taking up and abandoning. I want to paint my room. I want to make at least $1,200 with my current job, and have $300 in my savings account at the end of the year.

[Helga]

Happy new year!

2011 was a very odd year for me. Learning how to be a single mom has been great and I have gotten to know myself and what I want a lot better, I think I am fit for any kind of relationship now but I am also happy being alone. and of course the best thing about 2011 is I finally started school! My hopes for this new year is to stay happy and stay in school and keep doing all the things that make me and my boy happy. I also want to visit amazon when my student loans come in :)

[papayahed]

Happy New Year!!

2011 was a little bumpy hopefully 2012 will smooth out a little.

[MystyrMystyry]

New Year's Day was a scorching 110 F in the shade, though I woke in a good mood prepared for the worst later in the day - except that only covered the weather, not the landlord rocking up to show off his brand new 2012 version Sourpuss.

'Hang on!' I protested. 'That looks exactly like your 2011 Sourpuss!'

'It's the 2011 version with sourer additions!' he seemed to respond, pointing to a puddle of oil in the driveway. 'Don't want leaky cars in the driveway!'

'Then don't park it in the driveway...'

'It's not mine!' he remonstrates.

'Who else's would it be? Mine doesn't leak, and I don't park there.'

'Visitors!'

'They park on the road.'

'I'm putting your rent up!'

'Good luck finding someone to move in.'

'You're moving out!'

'This place isn't worth the price on my nerves.'

'You can't move out!'

'I will if you put the rent up...'

'Water that tree! Pick those weeds!'

'Sure - as soon as it cools down.'

'Do it now!'

'No - it's too hot.'

'What do you mean! How hot is it!'

'110 in the shade.'

'Really! I'm going to make some loud noise!'



Happy New Year Everyone Else!

[LitNetIsGreat]

Happy new year to all my friends on Litnet!

All the best.:party:

How the hell I'm going to get up before 10.00am for work is beyond me. I've so got used to the natural 2.00am+ bed, 10.00am rise, that making the evil of work is going to be appalling. Never mind, one more sleep...Jesus. Didn't Shelley say something about if winter's here, isn't spring far behing? Let's hope so because I just can't get out of bed with no light outside.



What were the highlights of 2011 for you, and what do you want to achieve in 2012?

I can't be bothered to look back but going forward into 2012 I want to be sorting out the buying my house (so I can retire as early as possible) and to take advantage of a full holiday for the family. However my main personal ambition is to improve my chess to a decent standard (around 1800 elo rating, "good club player"). This is all but totally taking over all of my time and is a burning need right now and will be throughout the year. I also want to join a local club to help further and cement this aim. (I am already penciled in the club I want to play for; they meet each week in a good pub, hee, hee, ha, ha...)

I also want to cycle out to a few new places I've not been to in the UK. I might even think about a country to coast trip or something like that. I also want to get back into tennis when the weather is fine because I enjoyed that last year very much. I was also fitter then. These are my immediate thoughts. I would also like to spend less time online or watching TV (though I don't watch much TV) so that I can spend that more wisely/productively reaching my goals. I also want to spend more time at my new old favourite pub, The Red Deer, as it is really a great pub got to get there once a week if I can at least.

I want to drink more good coffee, as I really enjoy a good cup of coffee. I am in the process of buying a new coffee maker which should help in that aim.

Also if I could try to stop biting my nails for the 33rd year running that would be great too.


Good luck with all your aims.

(I've never really had 'new year's aims' before but these I am going to achieve without a doubt. Apart from the nails one which is impossible, but I'll try and cut down on nibbling.)

Cheers.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Happy New Year to all.
2011 Hi-lites:
Coming back home at the end of February following an eight month work assignment in Illinois
Adjusting to new staff including new office manager upon my return.
Continued contributions to the Cold Ale Blokes thread.
My son finally got his driver learners permit. Dad drew the short straw, so he gets to ride shotgun with the white knuckles.
Finished another turkey day painting and Christmas play this past year.
Met the challenge of the 11 new authors for 2011

Just returned (tonight) from my sister's home in East Texas, where we had another successful bon fire that commenced with the auto de fe of the 2011 effigy (formally known as the Mozartgeist), along with some gun play, cigars, singing and beer.

For 2012:
Help my son get his actual drivers license.
Complete some long overdue home repairs and upgrades
Continue reading.

[LadyLuck]

Happy New Year! For me personally, I just want to kick the baggage from 2011 from my back and start fresh.

[BienvenuJDC]

2011 - Discovered that arguing on LitNet is futile in respects to expressing one's opinion so that people can see where other's are coming from...

2012 - Won't be wasting that time this year

[Darcy88]

2011 - Discovered that arguing on LitNet is futile in respects to expressing one's opinion so that people can see where other's are coming from...

2012 - Won't be wasting that time this year

Say it ain't so Bien! What will I do with myself?

[BienvenuJDC]

Say it ain't so Bien! What will I do with myself?

Your resolutions are up to you.

[MANICHAEAN]

I think I have covered some personal aspects of 2011 in the recent short story "German Interlude," especially the loss of three friends, which in itself always gives cause for self-evaluation and consideration of purpose in those of us spared. Like it or not, after a certain age is attained, there is a realisation that things seem to move with remorseless acceleration towards the final precipice.

In terms of hard facts, I continued to work in the Middle East for most of 2011, but after many years actually achieved a Christmas back home in the UK with my eldest daughter and the inexhaustible grandson. A two month break, inclusive trips to France and Germany rounded off the year in a relaxing and salutary manner.

2012. Who can tell? Work wise, I'm off to Papua New Guinea at the end of January on a new job. All sorts of horror stories regards violence and kidnapping in Port Moresby, snakes, headhunters, malaria and bags of exotic diseases lurking in the jungle for unsuspecting white men. But then, it's near my alternate base in the Philippines. Nothing like three months of hardship followed by a 5 star hotel in Manila to appreciate the essentials of material existence.

I hope, indeed I pray, that I will continue to observe and appreciate the "now" and write accordingly of it to the best of my ability. Of course, if others appreciate these miscellaneous
scribblings, then that's the proverbial cherry on the cake.

I will continue to hold close my family and close friends and keep my senses open to the love of all that the Good Lord has graciously put my way.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

I think I have covered some personal aspects of 2011 in the recent short story "German Interlude," especially the loss of three friends, which in itself always gives cause for self-evaluation and consideration of purpose in those of us spared. Like it or not, after a certain age is attained, there is a realisation that things seem to move with remorseless acceleration towards the final precipice.

In terms of hard facts, I continued to work in the Middle East for most of 2011, but after many years actually achieved a Christmas back home in the UK with my eldest daughter and the inexhaustible grandson. A two month break, inclusive trips to France and Germany rounded off the year in a relaxing and salutary manner.

2012. Who can tell? Work wise, I'm off to Papua New Guinea at the end of January on a new job. All sorts of horror stories regards violence and kidnapping in Port Moresby, snakes, headhunters, malaria and bags of exotic diseases lurking in the jungle for unsuspecting white men. But then, it's near my alternate base in the Philippines. Nothing like three months of hardship followed by a 5 star hotel in Manila to appreciate the essentials of material existence.

I hope, indeed I pray, that I will continue to observe and appreciate the "now" and write accordingly of it to the best of my ability. Of course, if others appreciate these miscellaneous
scribblings, then that's the proverbial cherry on the cake.

I will continue to hold close my family and close friends and keep my senses open to the love of all that the Good Lord has graciously put my way.

That's worth repeating^.
Sorry to hear of your loss, but nice to know you had a Christmas at home.
Godspeed in your travels.

.