The Thing About New Years....

New Year's Eve/Day really puts things into perspective, doesn't it?

Just like at the end of each semester, at the end of the year I can't help but think back and say "Man, where did the time go?... And how did I spend it?"

And I still don't have an answer.

There are 8,760 hours in a year. This his how I've broken them down:

270 were spent in spring semester classes.
288 were spent in fall semester classes.
300 or so were spent working at Blockbuster over summer vacation.
100 + hours were spent chatting online.
2,372 were spent sleeping... ish
and TOO MANY were spent watching TV...

That totals about 3,330 hours...

That leaves 5,430 hours unaccounted for. Dude, how did I spend that time? Homework, I suppose. And eating. And more chatting online. And the biggest time-waster in the world - Facebook.

Oh, yes... it's always interesting. I've considered logging how much time I actually spend on Facebook. But then I decided I really don't want to know. Plus, I wouldn't have the time to add up the time I spend on Facebook because I'll be too busy wasting time on Facebook to do it. How ironic.

I can't really say I've made any resolutions. I'm not a big resolution-maker. Goals are good, but these long-term resolutions? Bleh... that's a bit daunting, thank you. I'll pass.

I could always make new semester resolutions, but the only really good one I can come up with is "I promise to stay on top of my reading and long-term assignments..." and that works almost as long as those New Year's diet plans...

I'm not a pooh-pooher of New Years. I like New Years a lot. A lot a lot. It's a fresh start for resolution-makers and non-resolution makers alike. I don't know if I'll force too many changes upon myself, but I think knowing that now is my opportunity to do so feels good. It's like "here I am, at the begining of a whole new year, with the chance to make some big changes in my life... and I may or may not take advantage of that." It's kind of along those same lines of being invited to a party you don't want to go to, but you still feel good that you were invited.

I think I also like it because it means, in my family at least, that it's time to take down the Christmas decorations. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas (and its decorations), but it feels good to take it down and get back to real life. I feel like Christmas is this joyus two-month hiatus at the end of the year where everybody unwinds and looks back on a year well-done... or not well-done... whichever. It's fun and I love it, but it's nice to jump back into real life. It looks like the house is starting fresh, too.

So, here were are... on the brink of 2008. The year my brother will graduate high school and move to college. The year my parents will celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary. The year I will begin the second half of my college education and GET A CAR. So this is it.... this is the metaphorical and daunting "click, click, click" as our helpess little cars trek up the roller coster. We're looking over the edge, ready for that ball to fall and go hurtling down a 366-day drop which will not go nearly as fast as you remember it.