Happy New Year's and 2010 Resolutions

Our first new years eve here in D.F. was pretty uneventful. We cooked dinner, drank too much champagne, and played Guitar Hero and American Idol. I also learned one of the traditions here is to eat 12 grapes at midnight (one for each chime of the bell). They represent the months of the year and if you eat a sour one, that month is supposed to be a bad month. I can't eat grapes that fast so my months were all messed up, and I also have no idea if any were sour since I couldnt taste anything but champagne. At one point there was a bonfire outside that we went to investigate, but that was our big event of the night. Here is Nola with her beads that she got while we were outside investigating. Apparently she shows enough skin to earn here beads. And she also looks like she got into the champagne without us knowing. Maybe that is where she got the courage to show her boobs for the beads.

Me cooking queso - yes we snuck in the contraband to make queso when we came back from Christmas and thankfully weren't caught.

After all the champagne was finished and the black eyed peas were eaten, I sat down to make some of what I will be accomplishing in 2010 and some of the things I learned in 2009. Let's start with 2009.
1) After a year of no pool and no place to ride a bike, I realize how much I really miss triathlons. Running has gotten better but nothing can replace a triathlon race. Hopefully 2010 will be my last year without them.
2) Concentrating nearly 100% on running and training at altitude has taken almost 2 minutes off my mile times. I am pretty sure I cant swim a mile to save my life anymore though.
3) Even though I am living in a place where it isnt really possible to do triathlons, I am having a blast experiencing the new culture, people and city that I live in.
4) Stomachs do adjust to the bacteria in a foreign country, but it takes 6 months.
5) A 1.5 hour flight home is waaayyy better than an 8 hour flight home, and cuts down on the amount I spend on xanax every year.
6) I miss surfing and the beach, but not the cost of milk and cheese in Hawaii.
7) It is much more fun to have a driver and maid than to do everything yourself.
8) I would kill for an all fruit smoothie from jamba juice.
9) I can be happy living anywhere as long as I have Chris and the destroyers to make me laugh on a daily basis.

Now for what I WILL be doing in 2010
1) Smile every day and enjoy life as it happens.
2) Do not stress about the things I cant control and be a little more laid back in life. Really hard to do for the type A person that I am.
3) Since 2010 will be another all running year, I want to set some PRs in all distances, 5K, 10K, Half marathon and Full marathon. Once I get my schedule set I will have actual times that I will be training towards.
4) Eat healthier. We dont eat poorly and almost always cook at home, but we can all improve right? I am lucky to live somewhere where fresh fruit and vegetables are plenty and cheap and I need to be sure and eat them at every meal. I will still have an occasional krispy kreme though.
5) Really have a plan for 2010 and stick to it. No excuses. I am not moving anywhere (hopefully) for the next 12 months so I can concentrate on what I need to do to hit my running goals.
6) Watch the mouth. I cuss like a sailor.
7) Pack lighter. I dont know when I started to pack my entire closet since I used to be such a light packer, but Chris and I are both working on packing less.
8) No more drinking an entire bottle of wine. Especially if it is a school night.
9) Do not take Chris (or really any friends or family) for granted. I am lucky to have every one of them in my life.
10) Shop less, save more. Shopping for me is really all about clothes, shoes and equipment for running and triathlons, but shopping is shopping and I can do without.
There are more, but 10 is a good number for now.
Here's to a fab 2010 for everyone.