Viva Resolutions

Nothing quite embarrasses me more than airing my list of resolutions. Sometimes I'm embarrassed writing them and I only do so because I'm a compulsive lister. Anyway, who isn't compelled by a fresh start? January 1 is like being baptized in hope. It's the ultimate for hope fiends.

I might give up Guitar Hero for the New Year. I haven't played since 2007. I still love it, and think about it, and visualize myself playing along with any music that's pumped in through the speakers of Old Navy and Starbucks . . . but I don't like sharing the guitar after just two songs. And I don't like having it pointed out what an "addict" I am every time I pick up the guitar. I'm embarrassed when I play now.

Hey, what am I? Embarrassed for 2008?

Here's the resolution at the top of my list. All other resolutions fit in a sub-resolution category under it: I Finish What I Start. Just saying it motivates me; makes me want to yell things like, "Yea, I ain't no quitter!" Not that I am, but it does fire me up to see important things through.

Speaking of which, I'm going to walk a marathon in March. It's taken me six weeks to even say that out loud, which is when I started training. So, yea, walking a marathon . . .does that seem silly? Actually, I'm going to walk it for charity. I'm walking it for this Farm Animal Protection Measure and I'm gonna hit up my friends and family to sponsor my walk, maybe $1 a mile, and then I'm gonna gladly hand over all that cash to the Californians for Humane Farms to make sure everyone knows about the measure and votes YES come November. We can't treat our fellow creatures so. If you tell me that you want to send me $26.20 (or $13.10 -- I'll take .50 a mile!) towards my efforts I'll click my blistered heels and not feel like such a schlub walking around in the wee, dark hours doing that exaggerated arm swing thing . . .Any help would surely be appreciated, just email me at mamirivera1@yahoo.com. Look, I made a fund-raising thermometer in the margins there. The training is going pretty well. I've had to say the I Finish What I Start thing to myself almost every week, sometimes twice. Walking in the cold, getting up early, enduring busted feet . . .Sunday I walked the first double-digit route: 10 miles. The course I mapped out had hills. It was harder than I thought it would be. Because I'm booking, y'all. I'm not just strolling along. I'm trying to make 13 and 14 minute miles, which right now seems undoable for an entire marathon. Sometimes I really do feel like a schlub for taking this on because I just decided I was going to do it by myself. Like a light went on and the idea that I must walk for charitable causes became the most important of all ideas! I was completely inspired by my friend LLoo who walked an impressive 60 miles over three days to fund raise for breast cancer research. Her mom is a survivor. It didn't seem silly that she did it; in fact it seemed heroic and selfless. I felt I could also give of myself in that way. I envision that this is the first of a handful of marathons that I will walk for charity this year, but first I have to finish this one -- because I started the training -- even if I'm a little nervous.