1  NEW YEAR / NEW GOALS - Happy 2012!  How did you ring in the new year?  I spent it with 3 new cousins who FINALLY had their petition approved and are here from the Philippines.  After YEARS of red tape, they’re here.  And we showed them how party (watching NYC’s ball drop on TV).  

2  BACK TO THE DAILY GRIND - It’s time to start running again!  Thanks to a good friend who randomly posted on Facebook about his fitness goal … a bunch of us are committing to get our butts into gear.  And we’re going to keep each other accountable. 

This is what I need.  Get my game face on.  Get people to keep me in check.  Bring it. 

3  MONEY OVERHAUL - I just did my overall financial analysis for 2011 and dude, I spend WAY too much money on dining out.  Like 3x as much as I do on clothes.  Something’s not right here!  

New goals include getting this area of life in check.  Time to cook at home.  Right Jamie Oliver??

I figure, cook healthy meals, run again, buy more clothes!  It’s a win/win situation.  Fo realz.

4  FLORIDA FRIENDS & GOOD CONVERSATIONS - In the midst of all these holidays I had the opportunity to hang out with my Florida friends, Jesse and Tim.  One lives here now and the other is from here and home for the holidays.  

I got to be one of the guys … rooftop beers, hanging out at Jesse’s place, and hitting up Capitol Hill.  Good conversations were had.  Talks about life, friends, and God.  I like those kinds of conversations.  

5  HOLIDAY MENTAL HANGOVER - I don’t know about you guys but I just got emotionally beat up by the holidays.  It’s been nonstop since Christmas really and I haven’t had a chance to really catch up.  

There’s been family event one after another:  New Years, baking parties, new cousins coming from the Philippines, grandmas’s 82nd birthday, homemade pot sticker extravaganza,  Florida friends.  TONS of fun.  But I’m tired!

Here’s a few sneak peeks: