What would you tell your 17 y/o self for New Year's?

One of my friends started an email chain that turned out beautifully - she said she heard a song, about what you would say if you could write your 17 year old self a letter. She turned it into 10 resolutions...here are mine:

1) Let go of fear. When you send energy to your fears, you empower them and they become larger than they should be.
2) Don't "consume to consume" half the stuff you buy will end up broken or in the trash. Do the walk away test and decide if its really something you will treasure or use. If the answer is no - let it go.
3) Treat yourself, your heart and your body with respect, because if you don't no one else will either. You're not disposable and your energy to defend yourself is limited.
4) Take every chance you get. You will never, never regret it.
5) Take a job, at least once in your life, based only on your excitement about the job - not the money.
6) Treasure your relationships with your siblings and parents. As you grow older, you will come to understand that they are really all you have and they know you, and love you anyway..and you WILL miss them when they are gone. Alot.
7) Exercise everyday. A Walk. A Bikeride. Its a good habit and you will feel better about that piece of cake you treat yourself to.
8) Go ahead. Treat yourself. Once a week. Indulge.
9) Read-anything you can get your hands on. It will open your heart and your mind.
10) Listen. Ask Questions.

Feel free to share yours, either here or in email. Some of the others were really beautiful!

Happy New Year.

WHOLLY COW HERE WE GO!!

Wow - it takes an act of congress to buy a house in Hawaii...but our offer has been officially accepted!! Its official! Our new little home in Hawaii is in an area called Hawaii Kai, which has a neighborhood feel to it, surrounds the marina and is minutes from the beach and KOKO head, which offers great hiking (Squaw Peak style). Now we have to really start rolling! We'll open Escrow on Monday and we'll be ROCKING. Jeff will be out in Hawaii next week for inspection.

Our house isn't very big, but it IS a 3bdrm/2.5 bath, so we will have room for guests! Its a corner unit in a gated complex that has all types of properties, including these townhomes and condos. We saw the condos on our house hunting visit and liked them, but opted not to live in a condo.

We gave up a couple of small things, but feel very comfortable with the price range and the area, so over all, we're feeling good.

We close on January 25 - WHOO - HOO!!

On another note, here is what is less than 5 minute drive from our house:

Obviously, this isn't the beach, the beach is pretty normal, but when you come around the curve from our place, this is what you see. Its spectacular, there is no doubt.

Today's Mind Bender

Breaking News! (and no, it has nothing to do with Hawaii): There is another Spears Baby on the way. YEP - you heard it. Only, it isn't Brittany who is pregnant...its her 16 y/o sister Jamie Lynn Spears.

(Pause)

It isn't as if I am speechless. Au Contra ire...its what to say first.

SHUT UP!! Are you F*CKING KIDDING ME?!!!!!! Please...tell me this isn't a dream.

To all my southern friends out there (oh, wait...I don't know anyone from the south) Sorry for the following comment: You can take the girl out of Louisiana, but you can't take the Louisiana out of the girl. Those Spears girls sure know how to make their parents proud...I mean, why even wait until you are of legal drinking age to start reproducing the progeny...after all, the clock's a tick'n. If your going spit out a litter of southern children, you gotta call your cousins early, before they get too pickled to do the deal justice.

Oh, I am not finished. I am an older sister. I have spent my entire life telling my sister not to make the same mistakes I did (she didn't). WTF?! Brittany never pulled her sister aside and said "so here's what I learned about getting knocked up..if you're not trying to PREVENT the big "P", its simply a matter of time before YOUR singing 'oops the Spears girls are fertile again'." I mean, who is the bigger dumb ass here (I THINK I know the answer to that...but right now...its as confusing as its ever been)?
At least Brittany PRETENDED to be a virgin for awhile. Admittedly, once the seal was broken, there was no putting the cork back in THAT bottle, but we thank you, Brittany for your gracious and heroic efforts of waiting until you were of voting age (you waited that long, right?).
Here is my favorite quote about all of this: Jamie Lynn plans to raise the baby in her home state of Louisiana — "so it can have a normal family life." HELLO!!! WAKE UP CALL...apparently, there is NOTHING normal about Louisiana if there are more like the Spears clan down there.

Lynne Spears doesn't understand how this could happen: "She's never late for her curfew."

Now the only question is: when is Grandma Spears gonna show up preggo? I mean, after all, she must have been 16 when she had Brittney, so she has plenty of childbearing years left, right?!!