New toys...

Oh how I love me some toys.. Yes, that's right, I'm a little kid.. The only difference is that my toys cost more..

My newest collection:

That was my very latest.. Before that, just this morning I was able to score some new boots too!


Once I get those toys in and installed I will post a new picture of the board. Mmmmm gotta love new toys.

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Something I've been reading a lot about given it's still early January is "New Year Resolutions"... I guess my main question is, WHY?! Why is it that so many people set unrealistic expectations as if a new year is suddenly a reason to be a different person. I'm sorry, but if you've always been an asshole, I'm guessing you're still going to be an asshole in 2009.

Who benefits the most by these promises? Gyms, psychologists, and then, in the end, Ben & Jerry. There's a reason that each gym has a $200+ deposit (or better known as "start-up fee") and that you won't find any new year special reducing or eliminating that. Because when you quit going after 2 weeks they still get paid!

The problem as I see it is that most people set unrealistic expectations with huge change right off the bat. Instead of starting small and working towards the end result. When someone says "This year I'm going to the gym every day for at least 2 hours! Then in 2 weeks I'll be down 10-15lbs and will be on my way to my year weight loss goal!", they're setting themselves up for massive failure. They're forgetting the increased muscle mass may have the scale appear to be slowly dropping. Not to mention that at a minimum of 3 nights a week it will take 2-3 weeks before your body starts any serious change for the normal person. Thus, after about the 20th of January, Ben & Jerry's sales start increasing. Sad that they have only lost 2 lbs in all their workouts and grunts, they sit at home, drowning their sorrows in a tub of Chunky Monkey.

It's not fair by any means, but come on people. Drastic change doesn't happen over night. It takes steps. Each step being a realistic one at that. You can't expect over night weight loss, you can't expect to suddenly be rich, just as you can't expect to suddenly change your life. Change isn't bad, but you have to be fair to yourself. The big thing is to understand that if you don't accomplish all the grand schemes you set out to do, you didn't fail, you're not a failure, but to keep working on it. Giving up and going back to the old way of things you wanted to change is leading yourself to disappointment. Then year after year you get the same results. Nothing.


And to be fair, my New Year's resolution? I've got to be honest here... I've really not made any this year. I don't really have a reason to, I enjoy my life right the way it is. However, I do have goals I want to accomplish, kind of fits with the "I'm 30 this year, live life!", so I guess it all fits into those. Some of those goals:

• Don't die. -Simple enough.
• Snowboard. -Got a board from PB for Christmas, just got my toys above, this goal is on it's way down...
• Get all my business plans in line for 2009. -Sounds easy & most is done already, just takes a little more time in planning, organizing and figuring out the details.
• Making sure the people closest to me know how much I do care, both by expressing it verbally and via actions. -again, simple enough.
• Staying active w/ sports, gym visits, playing in the yard or whatever comes up.

That's pretty much a small sample list of things that are on my list. Granted there's plenty more I want to do, there's plenty more I would like to do but that's for another day. Maybe I'll create a big list and check things off as I complete them.