Five-day work weeks

Wow, having to work five days in a row really sucks.

After weeks of shortened time on the job - oh, how I loved December - we're back to the grind. And it brought my happy attitude (my haptitude?) to a grinding halt. With that in mind, I thought I'd better shift my focus a bit and think about some of the great things January brings.

Return to the gym. Not that I took December off, but life got so busy last month it was a lot harder to make my usual appointments. Starting this week, I'm back a minimum of four times a week. December left me feeling like a puff pastry, and I'm looking forward to leaving that feeling behind.

Speaking of the gym, I am beyond excited that the former Monday night Hip-Hop instructor is out and the lovely Laurel is in. Laurel teaches a dance class; at the end of an hour with her, you feel like you can dance. Yes, even I feel like I have moves. It's refreshing. It's exhilerating. It's exhausting, in the best possible way. (Plus it doesn't hurt to dance next to John, who is just awesome and makes me want to be a better dancer. Alas, he plays for the other team.)

Fresh start at the office. As January 8 was my two-year anniversary, I had my evaluation this week. It wasn't as stellar as I'd hoped. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, per se. But you know me. You know that "meets some expectations" or even "meets expectations" is really not my goal. I had a great year, personally, when it comes to work. I have exceeded some of my own expectations, and they are very high. So I view this as an opportunity to look at things with a fresh eye and ensure that what I portray in the workplace is the way I want to be perceived.

24. Yes, Keifer Sutherland is back. I don't watch a lot of television, but this is one show I'll try not to miss.

Knitting for me. The last few months were pretty much dominated by the need to knit things for other people - gifts and stuff. Now, it's all about me. I saw a great pattern for a sweater that I just might try, and my Wicked Step Mother bought me the most beautiful yarn in Springfield that I just know is going to make a fabulous scarf, and I want to learn how to make socks, and I'm gonna need a hat to go with the scarf, plus the brown alpaca for a shawl in the office ...

Unwritten chapters. It's a new year. A brand-new start for everything. I don't know what the story of 2009 is going to be about, but I'm excited to get started on it. I'm glad to have a place to record it, and I'm glad you are a part of it.