I resolve to lose weight and clean the house and go to church, the same as usual. What are your New Years Resolutions?

-- Kymm Zuckert (hedgehog@hedgehog.net), January 01, 2001

Answers

Funny you should mention weight and housekeeping, Kymm, 'cause those are the two things most on my mind as resolutions. One year ago the doctor said I should lose five pounds. Last week I discovered that I had, instead, -gained- five pounds. I have now purchased a scale of my own and am steeling myself to eat more healthily and exercise more.

In terms of housekeeping, there are days when I feel like I'm living in a dusty rabbit warren. When a friend came to install speakers on my computer and discovered tumbleweeds of dust behind the computer, I was heartily embarrassed. And there are piles and piles and piles of paper everywhere. So I am already making more of an effort to clean on a regular basis. And as part of -that- resolution I'm getting "Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House," which should be an enormous aid.

Best of luck to all in keeping their own resolutions, whatever they are!

/Robert

-- Robert (rbdimmick@earthlink.net), January 01, 2001.

I'm going to test for a higher level of brown belt, and learn more blacksmithing. My daughter's going to learn more woodworking. My wife's got a list as long as her arm, but she's the planner in our house. My son's going to slouch a lot and play videogames.

-- Colin (ethilrist@prodigy.net), January 02, 2001.

I always resolve not to make any resolutions, because I never have enough faith in myself to keep them... and I've even gone and broke that resolution too! Due to circumstances beyond my control, I have resolved to show more appreciation to my friends...tell them how much they mean to me and never take them for granted...this led to another resolution to eradicate the parasites in my life...you know, those people who just take and take and take...and to say NO more often. I guess since I am on a roll I resolve to paint and read more and change my hairstyle...it has been the same since 7th grade.

-- allie (alleebaba@hotmail.com), January 22, 2001.

i sort of made a new years resolution. i really, really needed to Do Something about my hair. i hadn't cut it in... well years, and it was half red (see the question about hair color), and... just awful looking. so i decided to go back to an older style, short and layered, rather than long and tied back. but i'm so chicken about changing my hair, that i had to say it was a new years resolution to keep from chickening out. so i did it! and everyone says it looks much better. i like it better, too... i was starting to look middle aged and dowdy. this makes me look younger...

-- nicolemrw (nicolemrw@go.com), January 23, 2001.