New Year, New You? Not Hardly

I went to bed after midnight last night, but not because I was staying up to ring in the New Year or drive out the Old Year or watch the ball drop or attend a party or kiss under some mistletoe or drink champagne or anything else "festive". I was up late because we had watched a bit of television, as we are wont to do. I found a recipe for crockpot Hoppin' John, and I was soaking black-eyed peas and following the recipe, so I could get to bed and let it all be ready by the time my alarm went off at 7:30 this morning. Yes, Hoppin' John is meant for BREAKFAST! Click on the link... there's lots of good "lore" preceding the actual recipe.

Stephen had spent a good chunk of the day taking down Christmas decorations, and re-organizing them in such a way as to make them handy enough to retrieve, next time around, whilst also being "out of sight", for the most part. When we first moved in, the tree lived in its box on a shelf above the washer and dryer. NOT unobtrusive, that, and a waste of good shelf space! While he was getting started on that project, I went grocery shopping. We needed some stuff, not the least of which was a decent-sized ham for the Hoppin' John. So I shopped, called him to help me carry it all up from the garage, and marveled at his immense progress once I was putting the groceries away.

Since our move, I've been drinking more than I had been (particularly in this "hiatus" from work that I know as "unemployment"). I've not been walking my 10k steps daily, as I've not yet discovered my "perfect" walking paths, and I don't walk to my #WalkingSamplingLunches at Costco, now that we live further. I've gotten lazy, essentially, sitting on my ass on the futon, playing on my computer or my phone, and because I'm not exerting myself into any kind of sweaty situations, I'm also not bathing as frequently as the rest of the world. Again, lazy. I do enjoy a nice soak in the tub, but more often than not, getting clean is not my primary objective. My breathing still isn't what it needs to be, so I'll soak as a form of aromatherapy, with essential oils in the water.

I'm not depressed this season. It's amazing to know that I Am Not Depressed. Part of what amazes me about that statement is the fact that my hygiene and exercise and drinking would all point otherwise. So I dunno what's been going on with me, but I'm #Blessed and #Grateful to know that I Am Not Depressed.

So how does one make a change toward improvement when one is not depressed? I'm not one for "Resolutions", because January 1 is just another day. There's nothing special about the "new" year, any more than there was anything special about the "old" one. But I do know that I am unhappy with my physical being. The meatbag I'm currently transporting my soul in has gotten weak and flabby, and I'm having trouble breathing freely.

So while shopping yesterday, I decided to not purchase any alcohol until I'm back to my fighting shape. I'm not talking about a number on the scale. I'm talking about how I feel in this meatbag. I bought a bottle of sparkling chardonnay grape juice so we could drink some "bubbly" with our Hoppin' John today, and maybe have mimosas. (Sparkling chardonnay grape juice is not "dry" enough to mix with orange juice for mimosas, FYI; too sweet).

Today, once we were up and had consumed sufficient Hoppin' John, we took a walk up to Target and then back down to Big Lots. We got home at 10,500 steps! Then I farted around on my new computer, resetting it and reinstalling MS Office and Quicken and Chrome, and getting to know it a little better, to see if maybe it will live up to my exceedingly high expectations. So far, I'm not in love with it, but it is growing on me.

Not resolutions, but #ThreeGoodThings:

1. Hoppin' John is delicious, nutritious, sticks to your ribs, easy to make, and gluten- and dairy-free, in case you were wondering
2. 10,000 steps is not that hard to get, as long as the weather cooperates
3. I Am Not Depressed, and my plan is to improve from that not-rock-bottom starting point. Not a "new" me, but certainly the GOOD "old" me that everyone knows and loves

It's too late in the day (or early, for you) for me to try any video, considering how long it takes to create and load, and I want to finish this post on January 1st, so I'll leave you with this:

Did you make resolutions or do anything fun, stupid, traditional, or boring last night (New Year's Eve)? Tell me; I wanna know.