New Year's Eve and resolutions

On New Year's Eve, I had an exciting event for me...my first time going out with people other than Mick and the kids. Annie and Mandy, who I met at Christmas, invited me to lunch and a girly day. So I drove in to Manuka (where I took the kids to the movies) and met the girls at the shops. Manuka is a fancy area of Canberra, very posh. Annie made a comment that there were some pretentious people and shops. Still, it was nice to walk around. Restaurants are along Franklin street, interspersed with shops, and some have courtyards that are green and nice.

I got there first and wandered around the shops and the greens. We were meeting at the "green square," which Annie assured me Mick would know. He didn't, lol, but I found it anyway. Annie met me there and we looked around the shops while we waited for Mandy. Annie found a ring and earrings she wanted and since her partner bought her a Swiss Army watch (and Annie's a girlie girl so it wasn't the best gift for her) she called her partner and told him to come find the jewelry and pick something for her. lol She's funny and feisty. While she negotiated with the shop owner about the Spanish pearls, she handed me her phone and I called Mandy since she was late. She'd just arrived so we said we'd meet her at the green square.

When we found Mandy, we chose a Mexican-like restaurant and ordered food.We picked Mexican since Mick doesn't like it and I really do. :) The restaurant they wanted to take me to was closed for the holidays but they told me it is really good. We'll have to hit there again. Regardless, the burrito I got was fancy. It was more Tex-Mex than Mexican, but I'll take what I can get! :)

Lunch conversations consisted of Mandy's upcoming wedding, NYE celebrations, drinking, moving, lessons we've learned throughout life. It was a really interesting conversation. I really enjoyed getting to know the two of them better. I hope that we'll get to go out again soon. After a couple of hours chatting, Annie's partner Branamere arrived to buy her a proper Christmas present. While they did that, Mandy and I looked at shoes for her wedding. I haven't seen her dress, but the shoes we were looking at were very cute. Mandy and I walked back to the parking garage so I could add more coins to the meter. Then we met Annie and Branamere again and had gelato. MMMM, that was delicious. Lemon gelato- perfect. It was quite warm that day, in the 90s, so gelato was a great way to end the day. Mandy and I said goodbye to Annie and Branamere and walked to our cars.

Mick had been watching the kids and I got back a bit before 4pm so we hung out and played. He's building a billycart (sp?) for the kids and Eddie and Emily helped him. Claire arrived and we had a bit of a weird exchange but nothing major. Annie invited me and Mick to her house to celebrate, but we really just felt like relaxing. So instead, we went to the store after Claire and the kids left, bought some champagne and groceries, and came home. We started curry for dinner and just had a nice night relaxing and listening to music and talking. It was a quiet, lovely night.

Ok, this is off topic, but I know some of you will find it amusing and I didn't mention it in my posts about Christmas Eve so I'll tell you now. On Christmas Eve, I wanted to dress up and make myself up to celebrate. Even though it was just me and Mick, sometimes I get that urge to make myself look nice just because. So I walked out to the lounge room all dolled up, and Claire was in the lounge room to pick up the kids. Reese and Jay had been over and gone home. They were coming up the stairs and Mick was standing at the top of the stairs talking to Reese. When I walked over to wish them a Merry Christmas, Reese said, "You look really pretty." I laughed and made a comment about cleaning up nice. Mick hasn't let me live that down and says now Reese has a little crush on me. Is it really a compliment when a 12 year old says you look pretty? LOL

Now, onto New Year's Resolutions. I make some every year, and I try to mix in easy, medium, and harder resolutions. I was 3 for 6 for last year's resolutions. I know some people get discouraged if they don't meet their resolutions. Of the ones I didn't meet, one is an ongoing resolution and two just didn't happen and they were easy and medium ones. So I'm ok with that. I accomplished an easy, medium, and hard resolution.

For 2011, I resolve the following:

To get an MFT job. That's a tough one because it takes lots of steps before actually job hunting, but I know I can do it.

To buy a printer. We need one badly and I am guessing I'll be the driving force for that. :)

To get an Aussie doctor and try to get in better health.

To visit some churches here in Australia.

To make new friends here so I won't be as lonely. I need girlfriends to hang out with, talk to, go to lunch with, go shopping with.

To build stronger relationships with Emily and Eddie.

To finish my America Scrapbook.

That does it for me! I could have picked lots of things because right now it feels like there are so many things I want to accomplish and have completed or settled. Did you guys make resolutions? :)