…of NaNoWriMo 2006. So far Tallahassee has 15 winners, 20% of this year’s participants. Not bad!

…of Hurricane Season 2006. Thanks to El Nino it was a relatively normal season, no where near what was expected, and we can all be thankful for that!

…of November. Starting tomorrow the all-too-real realization that the year is almost over, that Christmas (Yule, Channukah, Kwanza, etc.) is just around the corner, and a sense of undeniable urgency settles over everything.

 

In thirty-one days, will you look at this past year as an overall success or failure. Well, if you can look back then it wasn’t a total failure: you’re still here. However, were there more ups than downs, or vice versa? Did the downs teach you anything of lasting value? Were the ups enough to sustain your spirits, leaving you with fond lasting memories? What will you do differently the next 365 to improve the next monumental reflection?

Apparently I’m being maudlin today…

* * *

I’ve never been one for New Year’s Resolutions, especially not the trite, pithy ones of ‘lose weight, exercise more, be a better [insert familial position here]’ that so many people seem to make and then lose about three weeks in. Occasionally I’ve stated some New Year’s Intentions, but I don’t even think I’ll bother with that. Usually I consider my birthday a better time for fresh-starts; after all, that’s when *my* new year begins, but the last two birthdays have been shadowed by the spectre of health problems, test results and irregularities that I find myself not exactly looking forward to 31 with any excitement.

Sure, there are things I want to do, things I want to accomplish, some sooner than later, things that I want to celebrate, to laugh about, even some worth crying over I’m sure (good with the bad and all that). Instead of resolutions or intentions, I think I’m going to work on putting one of those 101 in 1001 lists together, because I like lists and goals and to-do sort of things that I can cross off when finished. Like last night when I could cross off the ‘cutting’ portion of the event tokens project. The ‘drilling’ portion will be taken care of tonight, after the dress rehearsal for First Friday I think. Then maybe this weekend I can cross off the gluing and maybe even the painting bits.

That’s what I like, crossing things off of the list, seeing what there is to do. Granted, a list of 101 things will still have plenty to do for quite some time, but having almost three years to do it puts it in perspective.