So this is the New Year...

…and I don’t feel any different. The Mrs. and I didn’t quite know what to do for NYE, since all our friends were still out of town, so we followed Tim’s golden rule of drinking: When you don’t know where to go, go to the Irish Pub. I’ll spare you the details of NYE, mostly because I don’t remember much past 12:01, but a good time was had by all.

Before the New Year, we came back from the honeymoon. We had a great time down in Puerto Vallarta, and despite the partly cloudy weather, I managed to turn my usually pale white skin that nice shade of pink/orange I like so much. We went horseback riding through the forests to a waterfall, hiked the jungle to a secluded beach, and drank plenty of tequila related drinks, of course. All in all, it was a much more relaxing trip than our first honeymoon (two weddings means two honeymoons), and the people down there were just great. Hooray for the all-inclusive! As an added bonus, I found out upon arriving back in the U.S. that I might be making another trip down South to Guadalajara in a month or so to conduct some business... cross your fingers!

Now that I'm back to reality, it's time to face up what I've accomplished in 2007 and decide what I'd like to accomplish in the new year. This year was a particularly busy and hectic year for both me and my wife. Our travels spanned seven countries and multiple states, and included visits to both of our families as well as numerous friends. We recieved visits from siblings and friends. We had serious plumbing problems at the house we bought, which we then fixed, while at the same time continuing to remodel it as well. We then turned around and put the house back on the market, a market that has turned out to be one of the worst in years, so that we could move. Phoenix became our new home and we both got new jobs, with which we both are very satisfied. I started grad school. We began training for a 1/2 marathon. We somehow managed to fit in some hiking, biking, snowboarding and camping, as well. Most importantly, we got married... twice!

So, how do you follow a year like that? Kochanie and I both agree that we would like to calm down... just a little bit. Not the travelling or outdoor activities, but essentially we would like to simplify our day-to-day lives. That means more relaxing and less worrying about money, jobs, living - essentially staying in one place for more than a year. So, just for the hell of it, I present to you:

Norf's (hopefully not too ambitious) 2008 resolutions:

- Take the GREs and apply formally to ASU
- Continue successfully in graduate school (4.0 GPA)
- Complete the Rock'n'Roll 1/2 marathon without walking... or pooping myself
- Become a professionally licensed engineer in both Arizona and California
- Travel to Canada, Mexico, Italy and Honduras
- Maintain better correspondence with old friends
- Make new friends
- Drop a pant size

Okay, so that's the list. Talk to me in a year, and I'll let you know how I've done.