Happy New Year Y'All!

January 1st, 2012 - Woot!

I'm sure I can't be the only one who was happy to kiss 2011 goodbye. Heck, I was ready to smack it a few times and then throw it under a bus! I'm not usually so violent, but 2011 did tend to bring out the worst in me. I'm banking on 2012 bringing out the best in me. That's my big resolution to be honest.

Now, I'm not the biggest fan of resolutions. There's just something about them that seems to be shadowed by lurking failure. It seems that as soon as someone makes a resolution, bookies everywhere start posting the odds. The odds aren't so good people. Modern media is only too happy to provide the dismal life expectancy of said resolution. So ... I'll call them goals, keep them basic, and hope for the best.

1. New Year - new blog. I'm looking at it as more of a tool I'll use to achieve the other things I want to do. It helps me stay focused, and it's a more acceptable version of talking to yourself (since taking up residence in a rubber room is NOT on the list).
2. Manage my time, don't let time manage me. Surely I can't be the only one who felt victimized by demands, agendas, and such in the past year? I'm a busy woman. I juggle a lot of luggage (as the blog title says). When the luggage starts calling the shots, you're in trouble. I refused to be bossed around by some freakin' duffle bag!
3. Feeding my family. This is going to include feeding the body with healthier choices and feeding the soul as well.

I'm sure I'll add more things as I go along, goals do tend to break themselves down and breed like rabbits over time. For now though, this is a workable framework for me.

So, day one of the new year. I used to do this huge, fancy dinner on New Year's. This year, I introduced the fam to "grazing day." Our fridge is stuffed with leftovers, there are still goodies and treats taking up counter space, and everyone is wandering around in a post holiday stupor following our annual party and the resident ballerina's performance at a big New Year's Gala fundraiser. We've been sick for most of the holiday ... exhausted by the demands of December (Nutcracker, Christmas, etc. etc. etc.), and so we are pretty, well, lame. That's okay. Today I turned the family loose to graze. Leftover soups and sandwiches have been warmed up. Treats have been savored (they go bye bye tomorrow). People ate when they were hungry and puttered about. It was a totally unproductive and wonderful day spent watching old Marx brothers movies, talking to friends and relatives on the phone, and reading.

Not a bad way to end the holiday.

Not bad at all.