Last year we had a really fun thread where FoLCs explained the good stuff they wanted to remember in 2003 and their good resolutions for 2004. And this morning I went back to look at that thread, and our posts... and my post.

So... the question is, what were your good resolutions in January 2004 and how many did you stick to? And what are your good resolutions for 2005?

And since I'm asking, well, I'm going to answer for myself:

Last year, I said I would:

- finish Near Wild Heaven II
Um... that didn't quite work out.

- spend more time in the UK
That was great! I spent a great deal of time in England last year: first, I had a teaching practice in Manchester: I was in a primary school there and I had a blast! I learned to play pool and drink pints of beer (no, not in primary school ), and I also got to spent great holiday in England in February, April and August.

- go back to Italy
That didn't happen. But I still got to see El in April and October.

- take a part-time job so that I can finally take my English degree
Well, took a raincheck on that. Teaching in Manchester reminded me of what's good in primary school, so I decided to give it a chance. Not sure yet whether it was a good decision, but hey, it's a job after all.

- build a bridge to Canada
As you may know, there's still no bridge, but with that resolution I had another good resolution in mind, which I didn't want to reveal at the time: take a plane. And that's one I stuck to!!!! I really did take a plane! Four times! And I went to Canada. And I'll be going back to Canada in the near future.

So what are the good resolutions for 2005? Well, for me:

- Spend much less time on work stuff
- Get a position in another school
- Finish NWH II (for real this time)

And that's all, because I want to stick to these resolutions, so I figured I'd better not multiply them.

So what are yours?

Kaethel

Great thread!

Last year was a great year for me:

Joined a rugby team - and didn't kill myself either. I'm really proud of that because I'm not extremely athletic, but I love it and those memories will be there forever.

Got casted for a pretty good (I hope) school show and even got some lines. <g>

Met some FoLCs - Kaethel, Elena, Wendy, and Yvonne, which was fantastic.

Sorta started on the piano - to be honest with myself, I'm still bad at it <g> but I can play a few tunes decently.

Made a semi-decent L&C music video. I'm glad I finished it with most of my hair intact. <g>

I'm not going to resolve anything specific for the new year, because I find that I never think back on my resolutions anyway. I'll leave it at trying to make the best out of every experience and trying my best at everything I do.

Also, finally applying for a driver's license. That'd be nice to have. <g>

Julie

Oh, nice idea Kae!

Well, I just went back to my resolutions, and I did about half of them. I never made it back to the US, but I plan on doing it as soon as I have time and money. I did graduate and now I am studying in London, UK (although I'm not entirely sure you can call it studying <g>). I just never got back into sport. <g> Overall, I think 2004 has been a fantastic year, especially the last four months.

So for this year...

* I'm going to move to the UK
* I'm going to get a real job
* I'm going to write Summer Struggles
* I'm going to build a professional website

I think that'll keep me busy enough for one year again.

Sas

Well... 2004 had it's ups and downs, unfortunately more downs than ups. But as I'm thinking of what the ups were, I realized that so many of them are because of folcdom. My sister thinks this means I have no life, but I'm grateful for all of you.

Thank you, FoLCs, for making 2004 not only bearable, but fun as well! )

Oh dear.

Looks like this year's resolutions will be a copy of last year's then.

LabRat (hoping to be able to report better success in 2006 )

Wow, I did absolutely none of my resolutions for 2004 . I really am a loser . For 2005, the only thing I want is for my mom to get better.

- Laura

Oh dear, this looks dismayingly like accountability! Although it looks like I'm okay, 'cause I didn't list resolutions so much as hopes

From last year, I'd hoped for:

Michael got better at the end of first grade, but is now struggling more in second, so that's a wash. Our family finances have improved somewhat. And I had a fun Kerth season. Even if I didn't win anything

The out-of-town family thing didn't happen, but my mother did get rid of the psycho dog! No huge terrorist attacks, but way too many of them altogether. And that whole presidential election thing turned out really well, from my perspective

So, for 2005... I resolve to:

--get back into writing on a more regular basis, and finish Hearts United

--not get carried away and say anything that approaches flaming

--not waste hours a day on piddly stuff (aimless websurfing or playing games), but instead spend it on more important things like writing, caring for my family, and volunteering.

And I can't make a resolution exactly, but I'd love to be able to visit Wendy's place and meet lots of my overseas friends!

PJ

Well I'll give this a shot:

I'll put what I put last time and my comments below each part:

Well let's see:

Hopes for 2004

Loose more weight and gain back my muscle I had before I started working at McDonald's.

For 2005...

Loose weight, get muscle.
Continue to play with make up and learn how to conquer the world of my hair!
pay down loan
get house
play with my hamsters and dog more. I miss my hamster, Tidbit who died late Thurs and I feel like I didn't hang out with him enough.
challenge my husband - do different things. I want to initiate stuff (eg. I want to go snowboarding so I'LL SET IT UP!!)


I think that's enough, or I'll definately be disapointed next year!!!

Good luck and best wishes to everyone!!!

Hrm. Looking back at the old thread, I see I didn't make any resolutions. I don't do well with resolutions, so I just usually give up on them.

In 2004,

-- I went to visit my brand new niece and my mom, going to a place I haven't been to in 10 years

-- My brother was deployed overseas. He did get to see his daughter before he left, thank goodness.

-- Had a few cat issues. Must get them resolved this year (Apparently doesn't like crying babies)

-- Got an outstanding student award at school (yay) and an organization award (which I wasn't even in, the teacher just threw my name in there)

-- FINALLY got out of the Army, after being yanked around for 10 months.

This year... hrm..

-- Finally go to an NFL game. Tomorrow, whee! (Saints @ Panthers)

-- Finish school, if I don't get jerked around again

-- Get started on a few projects I have in mind

Other than that, I hope for a good year with no issues, hassles, sickness, strife, and accidents. I know it won't happen (well, I better not have another accident!), but hopefully it won't be too bad.

Hmm 2004 and 2005...

I did say I'd start sleeping more...I think I've overdone it a little.

That's an excellent one! I'm adding that to my list!!!! People think I am very clean at home - amost anal b/c well at my old restaurant job I was anal about cleanliness and my desk at my new job - I always get comments on because I always clean it at the end of the day. They *all* would be shocked to see my house. Right now I'm blaming it on b/c I'm not in my mode - it's not my house and I cannot have it the way I need to have it. Now if I get my house this year and I still fail...well THAT REALLY BAD!!! My excuses won't extend there! LOL

Well I do know I need a dishwasher. That would help with one of my weaknesses.

Ooh, I like this idea and maybe actually writing down my resolutions will make me stick to them (and I’ll happily take ‘partly stick to them’ ). At the moment I’m just happy I missed last year’s thread.

Okay, so 2004 highlights:
Met Rivka while she was in Israel and had a great time talking to another FoLC in person.

I got a new computer that will allow me to do all the FoLC things I want, though I’m still installing stuff and reading manuals so I haven’t really done much yet.

I got a DSL line (that’s part of the reason for the new computer) and got back on line and on IRC (which I can’t do from work). It was so great to have this immediate connection with other FoLCs again!

I took a photography course that was a lot of fun; the down side is I have all this photography stuff I want to buy now.

In the last few months I made an effort to give more FDK mostly through the MBs and made moderate progress. I’m especially proud of this achievement as it has been constantly on my ‘private resolutions that must never be stated out loud’ list for at least three years.

2004 sore spots:
Didn’t lose any weight – which ties in neatly with ‘didn’t exercise regularly’.

Didn’t get my apartment organized they way I planned to due to RL issues and my ever improving procrastination.

Didn’t save enough money to go visit FoLC and didn’t even meet Julie while she was in Israel.

2005 resolutions
Learn a programming language up to a level that will allow me to upgrade my site.

Save some money so that I’ll be able to afford the LC DVDs when the come out in Israel.

Try to give more FDK and not be so shy about e-mailing it either.

Get some work done on my apartment and be a lot neater! (Thanks for the reminder JD)

Finally finish my story and show it to at least 5 people.

Make at least one music video.

Avia (who is also saving this list to her HD and creating weekly reminders for some of this stuff)

Last year, I said:

Less pressure, check. More free time, check. Improve my grades, check (although they still aren't as good as I want them to be... I have very high standards).

Improve foreign languages, check. D.S.E., check! Passed it last June!

(WOW! I did everything I had planned to!)

For 2005, still wishing for health-love-joy, plus:

- Even better grades! (I'm an insatiable perfectionist, as it seems *shrug*)
- Finish The Walls Between Us (again).

Basically, these two.

Have a wonderful year,
AnnaBtG.

Well, like Lab I need to call for a carry-over of last year's goals to this year. Call it an extension, if you will.

But, one thing I didn't expect to happen in 2004 but did and was very good: I got to meet a whole bunch of FoLCs and am so very glad that I did.

Lynn

Great thread, H. I've enjoyed reading everyone's successes and ambitions. Personally, I missed last year's thread, so I don't have anything to measure up to, thankfully. <g>

What happened in 2004 that was good? Other than visiting Wendy and John in their new home in Canada, seeing some old Folc friends again and meeting a couple of new ones - which was wonderful and probably the highlight of my year - I can't think of anything terribly noteworthy.

I guess taking my main holiday in the UK (rather than going abroad) for the first time in years was also a highlight. I really enjoyed the novelty of not needing a passport, being able to travel there in just a few hours, and being able to speak the language when I arrived - oh, and being able to watch Wimbledon on the BBC. <g> Not to mention that Cornwall, where I went, was utterly charming and beguiling. )

For 2005? Um, well, I guess the main aim is to visit Canada again within the next few months. Hopefully meet up with the transatlantic Folcs I met last time and perhaps meet some new ones, time and circumstances permitting.

A minor resolution is to wash the dinner dishes the same night I use them rather than leave them for next morning.

Oh, and get my bathroom refitted and redecorated! Almost forgot that one.

That's about it.

Nope, thought of another one: begin writing an original fiction novel. That's a biggie and I'll give myself a big pat on the back next year if I actually manage it.

Yvonne

Like Yvonne, I somehow missed this thread last year. So that's my first resolution, post more, especially feedback. I have been really bad at that rescently.

2004 was a good-ish year for me, because I finally got a proper job, meaning I finally got to move out of my parent's house, I get to live in London, and I get a pension. The last bit is so grown up for me it scares me slightly! But boogie on anyway last job for so long, and my dad having a heart attack. Luckily he's fine now, but it was a shock.

Anyway, my other resolutions, and I've already shared these with other friends, so I'm hoping that I'll actually achieve them!

More dancing - I've got a long list of bands I want to see live, and I never quite manage it.

More cricket - actually get to a test match this year!

Lear how to say 'no' to try to bring a little bit of control back into my life (that means cutting back on some of my voluntary work so I get some 'me' time - see previous resolutions!)

Mostly though this year I'm looking forward to settling down for a bit (I have lived in 6 different places in the last 5 years!), and not having to worry what happens when my contract ends.

Helga

Mmm, lets see, for 2005 I want to:

-Loose weight, get muscle.(really important)

-Forget about my Doritos-Cheetos addiction and eat real food like vegetables and fruits.

-Write my first L&C english fic and post it with help of MDL.

-Finish all my Charmed and Vampires spanish fics because I really need to do it or my friends are gonna kill me.

-Make more Music Videos because I love the ones I have made.

Now I just have to do it

Karla

Hello.

Well, I missed the 2004 thread too so I guess I don't have anything to be held accountable for. :p

So, highlights of 2004 for me:

• made the big decision to stay in school for another 4 years for a Ph.D.
• got to visit Europe for the first time (Vienna and Scotland) although only for 1 day of sightseeing each
• finished my master's thesis (though technically it was done this past Monday so 2005, but close enough )
• got my 1st research publication (2 publications actually )

Hopes for 2005:

• get back into karate training or at least some form of exercise in my life
• be starting to write my Ph.D. thesis proposal by end of the year
• be less shy and more active in meeting new people starting with ...
• stop being a lurker and give feedback to fanfic and post more on these messageboards (starting with this post )

I think I'll stop before I give myself too many things to be held accountable for next year.

Cheers,
Simba

2004: Resolved to Lose Weight, Did but Gained it back.
Resolved to Excercise and Eat Right : Fell off Wagon
Resolved to be more organised: Did not happen

2005: Resolving to make healthier choices
Resolving to be more Considerate of Others
Resolving to be more Considerate of Myself