by Ashley Murphy

My, oh my, how this year has flown by! This massive snow we received on Christmas Day threw me for a loop, but how exciting it was! Only problem, it made me think about the fairly decent snow and deep freeze we had back in January 2010. It seems that was just a few months ago. But that's not right, because just a few months ago I was laying on catamaran in the middle of the Caribbean Ocean enjoying the British Virgin Islands. Oh, how I miss that so much...

Now, it's time to start a new year all over again. Many people will make changes, try to stick to resolutions and others will do good at just trying to get by. I'm definitely one of those that needs to make a few changes. However, I've never been one for resolutions (I just can't stick to them) and unless something is forced upon me or I'm made to do it, forget any drastic changes. I have a feeling that I will be forced to make a big change in my life very soon, if not before this article is printed and you start reading.

One thing is for sure though, 2011 is a year I need to dedicate to gain. Not so much personal gain or professional gain, but gaining friends would be a huge plus! It seems this year has been a year of loss, and I don't mean by death. I can count in my head right now the number of friends I seem to have "lost" this year.

My deal now, coming up with a strategy to do this. I'm not one for going out anymore, mainly because I'm running short on cash and going "out" every weekend is a bit of a financial hindrance. On occasions that I do go out, I refuse to go alone, so I have to recruit someone that's willing to tag along and pretend like they are having a good time. Yes, it's sad. I know.

I did just get a wonderful new Blu-Ray player for Christmas and a gorgeous new HDTV the year before, so my ultimate goal is to find - and obtain - my own place and put those two items to good use. Then, I would never have to leave the house! Unfortunately, if that were to happen, a resolution would have to be set in place to lose all the weight that I would gain from becoming a couch potato. That next step would include saving the money to buy the P90X. This way, I would just be a house hobbit, and not a completely lazy couch potato house hobbit.

I've actually heard a lot of good things about the P90X program and several people have said it really works....if you actually stick with it! My problem, as stated previously, I'm not a very motivated person, so in order to do that, I would need someone standing over me, telling me to get my butt off the couch and get to exercising. A friend of mine was supposed to buy us the P90X and he was going to be just that person to yank my tail in gear. However, it seems like I may be losing him, too. So, there goes that.

I would love to enlist the help of a personal trainer. It wouldn't only get me in shape, but out of this fictitious house I never plan on leaving that I don't yet have. Only thing is, personal trainers cost a pretty penny. Even here in Cleveland! I understand The Rush is a chain fitness center, but really?! Pretty pennies, I don't have, so anyone out there with any good ideas of how to overcome this, come into some pretty pennies or knows someone generous enough to cut their personal training fee by say half, then please, by all means, send some information this way!

I definitely won't be holding my breath, but until then, I will try to become acquainted with my new Blu-Ray player and my semi-new HDTV and see if I can convince them to tolerate being my new best friends. How sad is it that I'm recruiting appliances as friends? I can't help it, isolation does crazy things to people. I used to have Jezzibug to talk to - I guess it doesn't help that she's a dog - but I believe I may soon lose my puppy visitation privileges as well, so I'm only doing what I can with what I've been given!

To save myself embarrassment and to save your sanity for having to listen to my rambling thoughts, I'm stopping here. But if anyone out there would like to help me a bit in the coming months, how about sending me some writing ideas. It would be greatly appreciated. I won't take it personally. Honest.

.