You know, I try to make my tomorrows better than my yesterdays, without hurting anyone else in the process.

The holidays were good. I took the time to spend days with my family, and watch lots of movies, and see friends. I couldn't have asked for a better time. Admittedly, I'm at the point in my life where the holidays bring with it a sense of melancholy as a partner for the joy, mainly because the holidays make me think of what I don't have, and what I thought I would have by the time I was 31 - namely a family of my own. This was especially punctuated this break because I met up with my two of my closest friends from college for New Years, and they are both pregnant, and they surprised me and each other with that news. But the holidays also bring me with a resolve to try to do something about it - and, who knows, maybe this will be the year that will push me to get out there a bit more. Fall was good in this area. Maybe it will continue.

Some years, I've been really into resolutions, but I don't think I will be this year. We'll see. I'll ponder it for a few days. I'll live by the rule of Murs, my favorite musical discovery this year, who, in his song "Everything," from his current album Murs for President, says that he tries to make his tomorrows better than his todays, without hurting anyone else in the process, because, you know, if we all do that, then we all win, right? And we do. That sounds like a good resolution. I'd like to figure out how to lose more weight, of course; I love how I look and feel when I get myself down to the 200-220 range instead of the 240 range I seem stuck on. It's not about exercise, which I'm religious about, but I'm going to concentrate on eating more vegetables and less refined sugars. If I could just cut out my sweet tooth, I'd probably be all set.

Well, I guess I just set a couple of resolutions, eh?

I spent a lot of money over my holiday, including the $822 on my rental car. I hope it was worth it. It's going to take a bit to pay that off, to the point where I'm considering calling up the restaurant to ask for a few shifts. I might do it. Seeing my little sister buy her first home made me firmer in my resolve to do the same. I really want/need a new car, but I think I should try to get the house first, to try to decrease the amount of debt I have when the interest rate on the mortgage is calculated. So that's a goal, too.

I really haven't done much with my life in the last five years, except professionally - getting my Masters degree, continuing to work on my teaching and coaching, working two jobs to pay down student loans. I think it's time to shift priorities a little, or, more accurately, add a little bit of balance.

My favorite singer/songwriter, Brenda Kahn, was an important part of my life throughout the last fifteen years or so; her music and lyrics have pulled me through a lot (indeed, the title of this blog, is an homage to her masterpiece Epiphany in Brooklyn). I try to listen to her song "Yellow Sun" every New Years Day. It's far from my favorite song of hers, but the ending refrain of a repeated "Happy New Years Day" gives me some resolve on this day. I share it with you now, followed by Murs' "Everything." Murs is probably the songwriter that, right now, is speaking the most to me. Brenda, meet Murs; Murs, meet Brenda.