I came up with a legit resolution...

...and it is: to re-watch and re-read as little as possible!

Something you may or may not know about me is that I watch the same stuff over and over again, and that applies to a lesser degree to reading as well.  Rather than diving into new TV shows, which I find intimidating and overwhelming, I re-watch ones I've already seen.  Obviously this isn't all I do, but I do it a lot.  It's comfortable and relaxing to just let my mind focus very little on what's in front of me.

Comfortable and relaxing, maybe, but not extremely engaging, is it?  It's easy to just allow myself to do that, but it would really stretch my mind more if I made myself - and it will take a concerted effort - engage in new things.  I intend to do more than just watching new TV shows and movies, but this is one way to cultivate new interests and hobbies.

So, I intend to watch movies I've always meant to... like "Annie Hall", "Kramer vs. Kramer", and more!  Any time I sit down to watch a movie, I'll make an effort to try something new!

Brilliant.  Bring it on!

Hobbies

A thought occurred to me tonight as I sat in the Four Seasons Centre watching the working rehearsal of Cosi fan tutte: I need a hobby. I'm a busy person, but at this point it's usually work + gym + hanging out + watching TV. If someone asked, "What are you interested in?" I'm not sure what I'd say. I might say "music", but aside from listening to it, how do I take an interest in it? I like "opera", but that interest doesn't go far beyond seeing the occasional performance or listening to my girlfriend K. sing or talk about it. And when I watch TV and movies, it's often just re-watching shows and movies I've already seen before.

So here's one of my resolutions for 2014: actively cultivate interests and hobbies. If I like reading, I ought to read. If I'm so interested in opera, I'm going to listen to it regularly and read about if and form opinions on it. This may sound forced, but maybe I need to put some effort into cultivating interests to begin with. It's easy to marathon "The O.C." on DVD, but it's more difficult to decide to watch a new documentary every week.

Whatever I want to dive into, I'd like to do it wholeheartedly.

Watch out, world!

Reader's Digest

I can't believe it's already January 22nd!!!  This month has flown by.  It happens to be pretty much my busiest month of the year at work, so it was a stressful and overwhelming start to the year.  But, with the biggest project in my portfolio behind me, I'm feeling very successful, accomplished, and productive.  That is a great way to begin 2013.

I don't have anything in particular to blog about today, but I was feeling like I'd been neglecting ol' S&G.  So - how about a bit of a general update?  Perhaps even a list of things I want to blog about when I have more time / I'm in the zone.


My cat: I got a cat.  His name is Spoon.  I've never had a pet before in my life, save for a hamster and maybe some fish... and an infamous turtle (ask me about that story as I'm unlikely to blog about it).  Spoon and I already have a beautiful, budding friendship, and I have no doubt I'll want to dedicate one - if not many - entry to him in the near future.

Hobbies: I wouldn't call myself a workaholic.  I love my job, but I make time for lots of other things, too, and it's not that often that I find myself "burning the midnight oil".  However, when someone asks me, "What do you do?", I'm determined not to reply with my job title.  Therefore, I am cultivating a number of hobbies that bring balance and fun to my life, and which I can state to people proudly.  I'd love to write about a few of them soon.

My iPad: I got an iPad and I really enjoy it.  I may or may not blog about it.


That'll be all for now.


Currently reading... Grace: A Memoir by Grace Coddington, Quiet by Susan Cain
Posts to come... An overview of all contestants to date on "RuPaul's Drag Race" ... and maybe sometime on my cat and my hobbies.