resolutions and the revised/updated "must love cats" list

Yesterday was a perfect balance and completely unstressful for me. I left later than I meant to for the southside and still made it where I wanted to go exactly at the time I wanted to be there.
Mom's house to pick up Austin - check.
Stone Mountain to see Purple Michael - check.
Nice lunch with Austin - check.
Pick up quinoa (two different kinds!) - check.
Home by dusk - check.
Settled in the nest in time to watch football and ring in the New Year - check!
Even had a little child support waiting for us - check! Literally... a check! (or money transfer, same dif)

I've got a little bit of a headache this morning. Started the day with one yesterday as well. But... no worries... I'm tucked in the nest and have no obligations or expectations on me today so I can just ride it out.

I guess you're wondering what my resolutions for 2011 are... me too. I mean... I haven't actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard, as the case would be)... but I know what I want to happen over the next year...

I want to continue to lose weight... not because I'm trying to be a covergirl because honestly, I'm very comfortable with the way I look, even at this weight... but because I want to be at the weight that is most conducive to a healthy lifestyle. I want to feel good. I want to have the energy I need to do the things I want to do. Plain and simple.
I want to be more active... I want to be less of a couch potato (or nest potato, I suppose) and more adventurous. This harkens back to what I said about being such a creature of habit... I've got to get into the HABIT of exercise/activity. I'm not sure I will every habitually go to the gym but I can definitely habitually hula hoop every night... or zumba... or do yoga/pilates (which I love)... I can walk more... there's a lot I can do to get my butt in gear that I will enjoy... and if the benefit is that my less than perfect lungs become stronger and these stupid bouts with bronchitis will be less likely.
I want to build my spiritual and emotional health this year. There's so much more I want to know about the Bible... I want a closer walk with the Lord. Angie gave me a ring with the word "faith" engraved on it. I've never had a problem with HAVING faith... I believe in God and I believe He will protect me and provide for me but I've been lazy about LIVING my faith... about sharing it, putting feet to that faith and being FAITHFUL to the one I have FAITH in.
I want to continue to learn more about nutrition and what makes our bodies work best. I want to share that knowledge with you along the way.
I want to do a better job at connecting with the people I love... I want to be present in their lives. If I can't be geographically present, I want to do a better job at correspondence: email, snail mail, phone calls, texts. I have coccooned too much.
I want to travel more this year. For the past two years money has not permitted. Even if they're just day trips... I want to explore my world. I'd LOVE to take a tour of the country... stopping in to visit with my favorite blog readers/writers... I'm studying the feasability of it... mapping it out... considering the cost... I figure... I could do a trip through New York, Philadelphia, Chicago... but... again... this is just me daydreaming (unless there's a wealthy benefactor who wants to sponsor a blogger babe tour for me??? anyone??? Bueller? )
This year I'd like to find a significant other. There are a lot of random insignificant others in my life at the moment... potential suitors that I'm vetting, so to speak... and I'm enjoying that process and the attention of these Gentlemen in Waiting... but... I'm a creature of habit, I'm not big on change... I'd like for there to be just one, forever kind of guy who will be a lifetime companion and friend for me. I realize this is a big goal... but that's the true desire of my heart.

With that in mind... while I was driving yesterday and had a lot of time to think (as my CD player in my car is now kaput... right in the middle of me and Austin belting out "Cabaret"... alas... so I was left alone to my thoughts)... and I am much more cognizant of what I need in a mate.

Let's call this, "Must Love Cats, Revised".

He must be available... geographically, emotionally and literally. He has to have time for a relationship.
He must be kind. I love to joke around and ... as I'm frequently reminded... I have pretty sharp "male" wit. But I don't want to be with anyone who wants to make me the butt of his jokes.
He must love cats. For real.
He must be a person of faith but not a judgemental person. My belief is that you can love people out of a whole lot more than you can judge them out of. I want a man who will encourage me in my faith... help me grow in faith... go to church with me... pray with me...
He must have a sense of adventure... be flexible... spontaneous... and yet, understand my need for stability and predictability and routine in life. (tall order? oh well... you have to dream big)
He must desire a healthy lifestyle. I'm easily led astray. Anyone who overindulges will increase the risk that I will overindulge. I need someone who will appreciate how excited I am about the inca red quinoa and mung beans I found yesterday. Someone who doesn't scoff at the extra expense of antibiotic and hormone free chicken... because it is so important (I believe) to my health and well being.
He must be willing to be transparent... intimacy means so much more than getting nekkid... it's about being willing to share your life, throw open the closet doors and let the skeletons come tumbling out. And he can't be too private to appear in my blog... because it's inevitable.
He must be diverse enough to appreciate a conservative southern baptist who likes an occasional glass of wine with her gay best friend.... he must appreciate the delicate balance of Turner Classic Movies and ESPN that makes up my weekends.... as Austin pointed out yesterday, you have to love showtunes to love me... it's the fortunate inevitability of me.

(I reserve the right to amend this list at will... and will)

One of the funniest moments in my day yesterday was when my sports ignorant youngest child tried to show that he had spent time with his sports loving brother and father... he announced that he knew who was in the "Super Bowl" - "Auburn and.... some other college..." When I stopped giggling I said, "honey... the Super Bowl is professional football... Auburn is a college team"... He didn't get the difference. However... we were listening to my favorite showtune collection and he commented that AT LEAST he knew the words to Cabaret. So there you go. I've got one kid who was cheering his favorite team on last night in the Chickfila Bowl and another who knows every lyric to every showtune on my favorite CD. AND my oldest does both.

The blog readers are clamoring for my first 2011 post... I'll wrap this up for now. *waves to Melissa in Minnesota*... Whatever you do this year... do it better than you did last year... *love and hugs!*