Bundle up

There have been some disconcerting amounts on my credit card statement lately — one of which was my propane bill last month. With that in mind, I decided to keep the temperature in my apartment a lot lower than normal and not turn my heat on at all in the mornings.

This decision just happened to coincide with two times we got snow where I live — something that only usually happens about two times each winter. So there I was the other morning, an old sweatshirt over my work clothes, wrapped in blankets, eating breakfast with my mittens on. It was a little tricky, but I pulled it off.

Right there, I decided it wasn't worth it, so the heat is going back on in the mornings. I've still been been on the cold side the rest of the time, since the new setting on my thermostat doesn't reach the balmy temperature I consider comfortable.

Lesson learned: I can't wait for summer.

Order up

If keeping up on my blogging were one of my New Years resolutions, I would be failing miserably. Luckily, I wasn't that ambitious when I made them.

Speaking of resolutions, I'm actually doing well on mine — with the exception of one. That is — this should come as no surprise to most of you — the one about learning to cook a few new dishes. If anything, I have gone backwards in my resolved culinary exploration. I'm getting a little bored with quesadillas, pasta and soup, but I can never seem to make it home before I am too starving to take any longer than five minutes to prepare a meal.

Lesson learned: You can't do it all.

Tricks of the trade

My company sent me to San Fransisco for a seminar on investigative journalism Saturday. I love going to these type of things. They are a great way to find great resources, recharge your motivation, get ideas for stories, meet other reporters and gean from those who have been doing this a long time. I woke up at 4 a.m. to drive down there, spent the day trying to absorb as much as possible and drove home.

It was a long day, but worthwhile. I rewarded myself with pizza.

Lesson learned: Which one?

Getting schooled

We started another session of Bible study last night. A group of girls and I usually do two a year, with short breaks in between. So if feels a little like going back to school when we start one. I always liked school, so I'm saying this in a postive way. This time, we're doing Beth Moore's, "Daniel," which I can already tell is going to be a lot of work. But that's okay, because I need it.

Lessons learned: I am living in a modern-day Babylon.

Here kitty, kitty

Today's assignment was to track down a stray cat population that controversy has been brewing over at a local county building. So there I was, stealthily slinking through the forest by the building with a photographer, meowing. Ok, maybe stealthily is an exaggeration. And slinking is completely inaccurate. More like post-holing into the leaf-covered mud in my high heels.

Ah yes, the ever varied job of a reporter.

Lesson learned: High heals are not the proper footwear for cat hunting. (But I found a couple anyway.)

Resolved

I'm back in California now, starting the New Year by jumping into work again. Speaking of the New Year, this morning on the news some source was discussing New Years resolutions and how they never work. Well, speak for yourself, because I've actually followed through with quite a few of them in recent years (I gave up the ones long ago about being nicer to my sister or ending world hunger). So I'm still going to make a few this year. My strategy is to make a bunch and figure I'll do at least a couple:

1. Play piano at least once a week;
2. Learn to cook a few new dishes;
3. Keep better track of my spending. (A previous resolution was to save more, which I've done, but I still don't think I know how much I spend).
4. Take my Christmas tree down before the end of January this year.
5. Buy a new plant and keep it growing.

So that's it. I'm more optimistic about some than others. I probably won't let you know how it goes.

Lessons learned: I'm going to have to keep resolution number 4 to keep resolution number 1.