I have never really got into the whole New Year thing – despite my Scottish ancestry.  I am too much of a Nana to stay up past midnight very often, and I have always have this huge sense of anti-climax the next day.  I mean it isn’t like you get presents or anything like the week before at Christmas.  As for resolutions and intentions – I can’t tell you the number of diaries I have owned that are done and dusted by about the 20th of Jan.  And thank God I never started smoking because the resolution to stop that would only last about 24 hours.

But 2016 is a little bit significant because

a), I did manage to see the year in.  I was staying with a great group of friends at Whangamata, and there was no way they were going to let me slope off early.  Also some of their singing and musical preferences were truly dire and my services were required for the greater good.

and

b) It is big birthday month.  As a January baby I am a firm believer in the importance of birthday month.  I like to give all my friends and whanau as much opportunity as possible to celebrate, as I know they can be busy with holidays and I would hate them to miss out.  But this year the birthday being celebrated is a number with an 0 at the end and a 5 at the front.  Yep in January 1966 a 8 pound 12 ounces baby girl, with an enormous amount of hair and very healthy lungs  was born in Matamata.

I suspect when you get to the half century, you should either know some stuff or at least be very good at pretending you know some stuff.

So here is some of the stuff I think I know and some of things I am going to have a go at this year

• things change –  not always for the best but change they do.  So when you are having a good moment, enjoy and savour it.  Because just like the bad moments it won’t last for ever
• often there isn’t truth in alcohol sometimes just inappropriate behaviour and a headache the next day – oops
• surround yourself with loving and understanding people and you might just get away with the inappropriate behaviour
• I know life is too short to hold a grudge – but hey I have got a few years left
• I don’t get the whole John Key is a fun guy thing.  Never have, never will
• my intention is to write 40 blogs this year.  That is at the request of my husband – who for some reason thinks I should write stuff down.  I suspect it is sometimes so I don’t keep going on to him about it
• regular exercise is just as important to my mental well being as it is to my physical well being
• I am going to run/walk/crawl the Queenstown Half Marathon this year
• I was born with a mop of hair and very healthy lungs (euphemism for I am loud) still got em
• if you are lucky enough to be in a relationship with someone who is great and cleaning and creating a wonderful living environment – give them free rein.  Help them by staying out of their way 🙂
• there will be a Warriors vs St George Grand Final one day, which I will attend and conflicted won’t be the word
• I am a very lucky person if I get to spend my Christmas morning getting some exercise with these two

•  A New Year won’t or another number won’t mean a new me, it will just be a continuation of the same one, but that’s ok – I might even stay up to see in 2017