New Year's Eve

Another year draws to a close: come tomorrow, I'll look back at what I achieved from last year's resolutions, and what I failed to do. But for now, it's time to set some goals for 2010.

One which I think should be easy is to keep writing this every day; harder, would be to avoid mentioning mysterious rotten egg smells, day in, day out - but let's hope I can stick at least to the first part.

Second, a simple one: drink no coffee in January - I managed it in 2009, so why not give my body a rest for a month. As preparation, I was gargling double espressos this morning in Taipei. Sorry in advance to Starbucks, for denying them around 1,000 dollars of revenue. I'm sure they'll make it back.

Third: make shodan this year. With luck, should be achieved by March.

Which means fourth, run the Taroko Gorge Marathon in November. And fifth, a hundred press-ups.

Those three things involve meting out quite a bit of abuse to my body. As a slender recompense, six is to do pilates regularly.

Seventh is to show off this hopefully improved physique by learning to dance. Perhaps it will be the waltz.

Eighth: save 25% of my income over the year, for future something-or-others.

Ninth: redraft The Great Old Game until it's in a form I feel proud of.

Tenth: have a solid ten minute set of material at the comedy club.

Eleventh: remember to write somebody a letter at least once a month.

Twelvth: read all the books I've got in the apartment and in my suitcase right now, before buying any new ones. And the same for DVDs and other consumables.

Thirteenth: come up with some rational plan for my life. With nothing less concrete, I suppose I could be checking this list once a month.

So, that's roughly one thing a month, plus a bonus. That shouldn't be so hard, should it?