2010, you HAVE to be better than 2009

Man, I can't wait for this year to be over. There were some good things, but overall it sucked ass. Here's my annual list of things to work towards in the new year.

1. Post more list oriented entries on this blog. This was #10 on my list from last year, so I'm putting it up top this year.

2. End the Ikea takeover in my apartment. I'm 31, it's time.

3. A new car. I know I just got my car only a few months ago, but I'm gonna have to upgrade to a car with power everything. And air conditioning. Seriously, I don't want to have to hand-crank my windows up and down anymore.

4. A classic: exercise more. Mainly for health reasons and to prevent me from feeling like a sluggish slob, but also to look decent while shirtless.

5. Practice philanthropy. I've reached a pivotal point in my life where I've got the means to help others, either through donations or volunteering, so I'd like to try and make the most of it. I'm rejoining Taproot Foundation to put my professional skill set to work and enrich local busineses who can't afford the service otherwise.

6. Be a better friend. I consider myself a pretty decent person and a good friend, but there's always room for improvement.

7. Get to know my family better. Though I love them, I've never been as close to my family as I'd like to be. Maybe in 2010 that will change.

8. Excel at my job. In 2010, with a new job, I'll try to do more than just meet expectations.

9. Less Facebook, more blogging. Facebook is like an ADHD exercise. I've got to learn to commit myself to writing a whole blog entry more often.

10. Dress like an adult. It was inevitable: I grew up. Now my clothes have to do the same. I guess it's good that I don't own very many graphic tees but do own a few pairs of corduroy pants. It's a start.

So here's to an awesome new year for me and you.
N.B. I failed miserably in my resolution to drink more in 2009. May 2010 be a drunken haze!

Wow, ok

Tonight I got a text from my sister saying that our autistic cousin was missing and she wanted to know what the best way to get the word out about him (tv news, radio, flyers, etc.). I thought it was a joke at first since, come on, how often do you get a text saying a family member is missing?

She was driving around San Jose looking for him without any luck (as you could imagine) while I was calling all the local news stations to see if they could put out an announcement and checking with all the hospitals just in case. Frantic was way of putting it. Shitting bricks is another.

Since he's autistic, he rarely goes anywhere by himself except to and from his adult education class. I was ready to drive down to San Jose to join her in aimlessly driving around when I got another text saying that the police had found him outside of a Target store miles away from where he was last seen. Man, I would have been pissed if I had actually left. What the hell was he doing across town at Target while everyone was freaking out? Ironically, I was also at a Target store when I got the initial text.

Lesson learned: implant a GPS chip under any of your loved ones' skin...immediately.

Not completely wasting my time

Lately I've been trying to spend my time doing things other than being online or at work. Or being online at work. Last week I volunteered at the San Francisco Food Bank. It's kinda fun in an assembly line kinda way. We repackaged bulk granola and brown rice into one-pound bags, which then went into boxes. My job was to do the initial filling of the bags as close to one pound as possible. I've discovered that I've got a knack for this (hitting one pound more often than not) and one of my teammates suggested that I'd be a good drug dealer.

I didn't really think about the people who would be there, but it was surprising that most of the people there were my age or younger. I guess I expected to see more of the mom type (because that's what I see on the news when they do stories on food banks during the holidays?? I don't know).

This year I'm also doing the Adopt-A-Family program at the Raphael House again. My friend Lucie told me about it and I thought it would be nice to contribute. The house is more or less a shelter for homeless children and families in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. The program asks that you provide gifts for the children as well as a family gift and a gift card to some place practical like Safeway or Target. Last year I spent way more than I really should have, but it was really fun shopping for my girl and her family (hence the overdoing of the gifts).

My motivations aren't completely altruistic, though. Growing up, we were pretty poor and my parents used services similar to these and lately I've been feeling like I have a responsibility to "give back," as they say. If you have the time or money, you should, too. And not just because it's the holidays, but because I told you to.

You can email Anne at SF Food Bank (more info here) or Anna at Raphael House (more info here) if you are a good, decent person.


This stuff isn't going to repackage itself into one-pound bags.