Let's kick things off right

I am not one to make New Year's resolutions, since I think it's either a bad idea or it's procrastinating; a bad idea to make a resolution you are not ready to keep simply because December turned into January; procrastinating if you waited for December to turn to January just so you could finally get your rump (yes, I said rump) in gear and do what you should have been doing months ago. Instead, I make resolutions as I go along. This year, though, my resolution happened to coincide with the beginning of the year, so I suppose it is my New Year's resolution. Yup, just one, because it's that important. I am resolved to be more careful. Let's look more closely at this overly generalised topic and see what we can see.

I don't like to think of myself as careless, per say, but sometimes you need to face the music. Overweight people resolve to lose weight, messy people resolve to be more organized, and careless people resolve to be more careful. I never MEAN for things to happen - the time the fire department got sent to our apartment because I left the pot boiling and ruined all those bottles (and half my breast pump)? The time I cooked a turkey in a too-small pan so the juices dripped onto the oven, which I then didn't clean, and said juices caught FIRE next time I cranked up the oven? Or how about the time I "lost my wallet" and, in a panic, cancelled all my credit cards (hassle!!!) only to find I had stuck it in the shopping bag with the things I'd bought instead of in my purse? OR when Patrick "ate a button" so I went to the doctor so they could check him out and the button fell out right on the exam bed? WELL. Looking at those, I am quite lucky - the apartment didn't really catch fire (either time), my wallet wasn't really lost, Patrick didn't really eat the button.... but how many times should you tempt fate? NOT THAT MANY. So now I am really working on being more careful. Always double-check the stove (and curling iron) before leaving! Keep those buttons (and any sewing parephenalia) completely out of Patrick's reach! If I THINK it's out of his reach, put it even further away! Keep all liquids away from precious papers, keep all bills away from the "stuff" stack that papers will never return from, keep sharp objects pointed away from you when opening packages... common sense of that sort. This is what I need to do! Take a few more minutes of my day to be careful - leave early to get to appointments, get ready even earlier than that so I can do the double-check thing, etc etc. I must admit I've already slipped a few times (fortunately this is not a resolution that can be broken, just horribly bent and/or forgotten along the wayside) and we don't need to go into details, but we should note that I am the World's Worst Liar, so any slip-ups I make simply cannot be hidden from Joe. From you people, sure, but you don't live with me. But you know what you can do? You can give me ideas on how to be more careful! Safety conscious, careful with money, how not to lose my wallet (again)... whatever you've got.

Have a happy - and careful - 2009!