Day 419B: 2012 Scorecard

I called last year's resolutions "The Ten Commitments." I thought ten would be a workable number, and - like SMART goals - I tried to write them down with specifics. How'd things pan out, you ask?

The 2012 list--

1) exercise a minimum of 10 minutes daily

I pretty much got this, I think, at least if you averaged the time out. I had more difficulty with my knee as the year went on; I had surgery on it in November. While that's no excuse in terms of exercises I might have done (chair exercises, for example) it did interrupt things a bit. Still, I think I hit the mark. But it's one that has lots of room for improvement.

2) write a minimum of 30 minutes daily

Mmm. I "kind of" reached this goal. If I'm going to set up measurable resolutions, then I really need a system for tracking same. Did I do this? I don't think I did. Did I make the goal often enough that I progressed? Oh, I would definitely say I did, especially if "creative writing" encompasses not only fiction writing but also articles, essays, blogs, what have you - then yes, I'd say I improved. I guess I could give this a B-.

3) sort computer files and bookmarks

Ulp. Not really. I made a good start, flagged, came back to it, got lost, started again. A paving stone on the infamous road, methinks.

4) submit application for British citizenship

Yay me! I did it, accomplished all the ins and outs, and was granted citizenship in October with the formal ceremony taking place in December. All that's left is my British passport (in the works) and then I think I'll frame the certificate. Oh sure, it's kind of like framing your birth certificate, but I think of it more like my high school diploma: I worked for that, and it's framed. I worked to attain citizenship, and the certificate should be framed. My mother did the work for me to earn my birth certificate - wonder if she wants to frame it, lol.

5) stop taking prescription medication

Dammitoll. STILL not happening. I had a BP check today, and - as usual - it's all over the map. The last few have been in the high teens (117 / 118 - ish) over the low-to-mid 60s. Today she checked it three times: 138 / 74, then 130 / 70, then 124 / 64. It's better than it was a year ago, but I still can't come off that last bit of Lisinopril. I'm on the smallest daily dose, but still - STILL - can't get there. What I need is exercise, serious exercise. I know that would do the trick.

6) sign up for a class, whether non-credit or credit

I took a freebie literary analysis class, which was okay, but it was designed for only six meetings - enough to cover the book. Now, this is how much the book meant to me: I can't for the life of me remember the title... Okay, looked it up - "The Restaurant of Love Regained." Eh. Dreary book that truly didn't do a thing for me. But I took the class, and it was the only no-fee course available locally. If - when - my ship comes in, I might even go back to school and take accredited classes, but in the meantime, my options are limited.

7) take a "real" cruise

Unfortunately, this one went by the boards (one of those nautical idioms, haha) early on. You know, that whole economic downturn thing. *sigh* But I blogged about it back in... well, I could look it up, but I think it was as early as February that I realized it couldn't work; might even have been before the end of January. Another dream for another year. It'll happen, just not yet.

8) aim for a BMI in the "ideal" range

Last January I said I needed to lose twelve more pounds to get there. Thing is - this January I need to lose twelve more pounds to get there, grrr... So no, I certainly didn't make this goal. It's of some small consolation to me that I haven't regained any weight, but it's so aggravating to be here, just stuck here. I can't eat any less than I do and maintain my health, so what I need is - back to this - EXERCISE. Gee, wonder what the focus of this year will be...

9) rework my diet / nutrition

To some extent I did. I kept the things that worked, or seem to be working, and changed around things that I felt needed improvement. I love herbal teas, but quite a few of them have licorice root as one of the flavorings. That stuff is right tasty. The problem is - and it's starting to show up more in some news outlets that feature information on nutrition - licorice root has a nasty tendency to increase blood pressure. No kidding. So I revamped that, focussing on green tea, white tea, mint, and chamomile. I will say that, although the other factors (weight, amount of medication, amount of exercise, etc.) haven't really changed, my BP has gone from the 130s / 70s to (usually! dammitoll) the 110s / 120s / 60s. Is it the tea? Dunno, but I'd like to think it helps. I've also got more soluble fiber in the plan - like oats and barley - and I think that's helped me feel better in general. My fasting blood sugar this morning was just a tad below 80 (4.3 old-style British - I haven't learned their new scale yet), and it's generally between 80 and 90, so I'd like to think something must be working.

10) finish "my" recipe book

The kids have been after me for almost ten years - TEN YEARS - for copies of my recipes. I have this grand plan of setting up binders and printing out actual pages, with photos where possible. Well, it's a plan. Still. More or less. On the plus side, I did find THE BEST EVER brownie recipe this year. Yes, I'll share it - PM and I'll send you a copy, if you really think you want it - consider that carefully. No lie, these are the absolute best all-time brownies, the only ones not out of a box I've had turn out right. (Not that all brownies aren't edible, so long as they aren't burnt black - let's face it, you can eat 'em with a spoon and they still taste good!) No, I didn't eat any, nary a one. I pinched a crumbie so I could tell if the recipe tweaks I'd done worked. They did. Um... does this give you an idea as to why I still don't have the recipe book done?

Remember the other day when I said I figured I achieved maybe 60% on my 2012 resolutions? That was before I had any kind of details worked out. Looking over the list above, I think I'll stand by my 60% claim.

A D is passing, just barely, but passing. So I have my work cut out for me. Next up: what I've learned and where I go from here.

That's for tomorrow, folks. G'night, Sparklers, wherever you are!